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JEROME   BONAPARTE. 


ELIZABETH   PATTERSON. 


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I3ST   1803, 


AND   THE 


SECRET  CORRESPONDENCE  ON  THE  SUBJECT 


NEVER  BEFORE  MADE  PUBLIC. 


COIiliECTED    AND    ARRANGED    BY 

W.  T.  R.   SAFFELL, 

AUTHOR  OF  "RECORDS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION,"  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  PROPRIETOR. 

1873. 


AU  rights  reserved. 


.  Si 
9>3 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1873,  by 

WILLIAM   L.   SAFFELL, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 

MEARS  &  DUSENBERY,  H.  B.  ASHMEAD, 

Stereotypers.  Printer. 


PUBLISHER'S  NOTE. 


f  In  explanation  of  the  communication  from  Col. 
Jerome  N.  Bonaparte  and  Mr.  Charles  J.  Bonaparte 
which  appears  below,  the  Publisher  of  this  book  deems 
it  expedient  to  say  a  few  words. 

The  facts  so  far  as  known  in  the  case  of  the  mar- 
riage of  Jerome  Bonaparte  to  Miss  Patterson  in  1803, 
have  so  long  been  matters  of  history,  that  when  the 
author  came  into  possession  of  the  complete  corres- 
pondence on  the  subject,  he  did  not  feel  that  in  making 
it  public,  he  should  be  doing  other  than  contributing 
to  a  portion  of  history  about  which  a  good  deal  had 
been  already  written. 

Out  of  courtesy  to  Mde.  Bonaparte,  who  is  still 
living,  he  sent  to  her,  through  a  friend,  the  proof 
sheets  of  the  greater  part  of  the  work,  and  the  design 
of  the  book  was  fully  explained  to  her.  Mde.  Bona- 
parte made  no  objection  to  its  issue,  saying,  that 
"  the  publication  of  the  volume  was  a  matter  of  per- 
fect indifference  to  her." 

M181824  (T) 


vi  PUBLISHER'S  NOTE. 

This  was  as  early  as  October  1872,  but  in  January 
1873,  Mr.  Charles  J.  Bonaparte  called  to  request 
that  the  book  should  not  be  published,  not  denying 
however  the  right  to  publish  it ;  the  book  was  then 
almost  ready  for  issue.  Mr.  Bonaparte  requested 
the  lines  below  to  be  inserted  in  the  preface : 

"  This  work  is  published  in  opposition  to  the 
formally  expressed  wishes  of  Col.  Jerome  N. 
Bonaparte  and  Mr.  Charles  J.  Bonaparte" 

It  is  presumed  that  Mr.  Charles  J.  Bonaparte  had 

authority  to   express   Col.   Jerome  N.   Bonaparte's 

wishes. 

W.  T.  R.  Saffell. 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  10th  1872. 


INTRODUCTION 


For  the  appearance  in  this  form  of  a  documentary 
narrative  of  events  which  followed  the  most  wonderful 
marriage  known  in  historic  times,  we  have  no  apolo- 
gies to  offer.  We  would  not,  however,  make  it  appear 
that  the  marriage  itself  was  so  wonderful ;  but  would 
say,  that  the  events  which  followed  it  find  no  parallel 
either  in  the  annals  of  fact,  or  in  the  domains  of 
fancy.  We  refer  to  the  marriage  of  Miss  Elizabeth 
Patterson  of  Baltimore,  to  Jerome  Bonaparte  of 
France. 

In  the  secret  correspondence  on  the  subject,  which 
we  publish  in  this  volume,  we  have  brought  to  view 
many  hidden  facts ;  and  hope  we  have  furnished 
strange  and  useful  information  to  the  general  reader, 
the  moralist,  and  the  historian. 

That  the  public  may  learn  how  we  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  original  letters  and  other  documents 
quoted  or  published  at  large  in  this  volume,  we  have 
to  say  simply,  that  we  bought  them  from  Houtine  & 

(vii) 


vin  INTRODUCTION. 

Murdock,  dealers  in  paper-makers'  material,  on  Cen- 
tre Market  Space,  Baltimore.  These  gentlemen,  to 
our  own  personal  knowledge,  and  to  that  of  many 
gentlemen  of  Baltimore,  bought  them  as  "waste 
paper,"  directly  from  Mr.  William  Patterson's  old 
warehouse  on  Gay  street.  In  the  lot  of  old  docu- 
ments which  we  purchased,  we  found  a  bundle  of 
English  and  French  letters  on  the  subject  of  the 
marriage,  carefully  filed  in  the  order  of  time,  and  in 
perfect  preservation.  These  we  copied,  and,  at  his 
request,  returned  the  originals  to  Mr.  Patterson's 
grandson,  now  occupying  the  warehouse. 

Mr.  Robert  Patterson  was  in  Europe  during  the 
time  of  the  troubles  arising  from  his  sister's  marriage ; 
and  his  letters  on  the  subject,  made  up  from  the  most 
reliable  French,  English,  and  German  sources  of  in- 
formation, and  addressed  to  his  father  in  Baltimore, 
contain  a  thrilling  history  of  the  mysterious  develop- 
ments which  succeeded  the  marriage  with  the  most 
alarming  rapidity.  From  these  letters,  in  chief,  and 
from  those  of  other  distinguished  writers,  collected 
and  filed  by  Mr.  Patterson,  we  have  formed  a  chain 
of  narrative,  extending  from  the  time  of  Jerome 
Bonaparte's  marriage  to  Miss  Patterson  on  the  24th 
of  December  1803,  to  the  time  of  his  second  marriage 
to  the  princess  Frederica  Catharina,  in  1807. 

We  do  not  mean  to  call  attention  to  what  we  have 


INTRODUCTION.  ix 

to  say  upon  the  subject  of  the  marriage  in  question, 
for  we  make  no  pretensions  to  authorship ;  but  we 
mean,  simply,  to  favor  the  public  with  what  distin- 
guished writers  have  written  concerning  it ;  and  we 
call  special  attention  to  the  letters  of  the  following 
gentlemen,  which  are  carefully  copied  in  this  book, 
viz.  : 

William  Patterson,  the  bride's  father. 

Robert  Patterson,  her  brother. 

M.  Dacres,  French  Minister  of  Marine. 

Robert  R.  Livingston,  American  Minister  to 
France. 

Gen.  John  Armstrong,  his  successor. 

Gen.  Tuerreau,  French  Minister  at  Washington. 

Gen.  Samuel  Smith,  of  Maryland. 

Gen.  Rewbell,  of  the  French  army. 

Capt.  Paul  Bentalou,  of  Baltimore. 

M.  Meyronet,  of  the  French  Navy. 

M.  Maupertuis,  French  Consul  at  Rotterdam. 

Sylvanus  Bourne,  U.  S.  Consul  General,  Batavian 
Republic. 

P.  Cuneo  de  Ornano,  of  St.  Croix  de  Teneriffe. 

M.  Le  Camus,  of  Genoa. 

Jerome  Bonaparte. 

Madame  Bonaparte,  his  wife. 

Geo.  M.  Paterson,  of  Lille,  her  cousin. 

Joseph  and  Lucien  Bonaparte. 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

Jerome  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  and  several  anony- 
mous writers. 

Many  of  these  letters  are  in  French,  and  some  of 
those  of  Robert  Patterson  in  cipher.  We  have  also 
made  use  of  paragraphs  from  the  newspapers  of  the 
day,  and  items  floating  in  the  mists  of  tradition, 
when  they  were  found  to  be  to  the  credit  of  the  dis- 
tinguished American  family  into  which  Jerome  was 
introduced. 

From  the  letters  of  M.  Maupertuis,  we  have  the 
secrets  which  leaked  out  from  the  court  of  Napoleon 
through  the  Empress  Josephine ;  and  from  those  of 
Captain  Bentalou  we  have  some  gossip  from  distin- 
guished ladies  near  the  throne. 

We  have  given  above  the  main  authorities  which 
we  quote.  Each  link  in  the  chain  of  events  has  been 
so  well  wrought  by  the  original  writers  themselves, 
that  we  have  had  but  little  to  do  by  way  of  comple- 
tion ;  and  when  the  reader  comes  to  the  end  of  the 
book,  he  will  feel  that  the  subject  is  exhausted,  and 
that  he  has  been  instructed,  amused,  and  satisfied. 

W.  T.  R.  S. 
Baltimore,  Jan.  1873. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGB 

Jerome  Bonaparte— He  visits  Baltimore — Commodore  Bar- 
ney— Miss  Elizabeth  Patterson — Her  great  beauty — 
Jerome  proposes  marriage — Gossip  and  scandal — Anony- 
mous letters — The  marriage — Tranquillity  restored — 
Young  couple  visit  Washington  City — General  Tuerreau 
—General  Smith— His  letter  about  "  Betsy"— Mr.  Pat- 
terson writes  to  Minister  Livingston — Napoleon  angry 
on  account  of  the  marriage — Letters  from  the  President 
of  the  United  States  on  the  subject — Specks  of  war — 
Napoleon  and  Agamemnon — Robert  Patterson  goes  to 
Paris — Delicate  diplomacy — Mr.  Livingston's  views — 
Letters  from  Miss  Monroe — Madame  Louis  Bonaparte 
in  Paris — Madame  Campan — Citizen  Genet — Fulwar 
Skipwith — Captain  Paul  Bentalou,  of  Baltimore       .     .     25 


CHAPTER   II. 

Biographical  sketch  of  the  members  of  the  Bonaparte  family 
— Thoughts  on  Jerome's  marriage — Robert  Patterson's 
second  letter — Hopes  of  reconciliation — Jerome  to  be 
established  in  Ameriea — Lucien  Bonaparte's  opinions — 
Paul  Bentalou' s  hopeful  letter — Dining  with  Lucien — 
Napoleon' 8  displeasure  manifest — Stirring  appeal  to 
arms — Britain  to  be  conquered — Mr.  Patterson's  third 
letter — Mr.  Livingston  again — A  call  on  Joseph  Bona- 

(xi) 


xii  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

parte — He  is  silent — Lucien's  character — Silence  in 
France — Robert  goes  to  Amsterdam — French  frigates 
plough  towards  New  York — Napoleon's  silence  broken 
— Pichon  in  New  York — French  captains  and  the 
"young  person" 40 


CHAPTER  III. 

Letter  from  M.  Dacres  to  citizen  Pichon — Strict  orders — 
Jerome's  pay  withheld — He  is  ordered  home — His  wife 
to  be  left  in  the  United  States — Not  to  put  her  foot  on 
the  territory  of  France — French  captains  not  to  receive 
her  on  board  their  vessels — Jerome  is  implored  to  return 
alone  to  France — Letter  from  M.  Dacres  to  Jerome — 
Napoleon's  opinions  of  the  marriage — Letters  of  Dacres 
intercepted  by  a  British  commander — He  copies  them 
— The  secret  out — Mr.  Patterson  writes  to  Jerome — 
Gives  the  extent  of  his  information — Hope  runs  high — 
Chancellor  Livingston  recalled  from  France — General 
Armstrong  succeeds  him — Mr.  Livingston  writes  to  Mr. 
Patterson — He  sends  Joseph  Bonaparte's  letter — Its 
translation 66 


CHAPTER   IV. 

The  young  couple  in  Baltimore — Sleighs  and  snow-balls — 
Bad  boys — Gossip  in  New  York — French  frigates — 
Bonaparte  and  lady  about  to  sail  for  France — His  bag- 
gage on  board — Going  in  The  Dido — British  frigates  on 
the  watch — The  couple  do  not  embark — Robert  Patter- 
son in  Amsterdam — News  from  Paris — Letter  from  a 
strange  writer — He  hails  from  Lille — Pope  of  Rome — 
Queen  of  Etruria — The  young  couple  visit  the  "  Hub" — 
A  secret  gets  out — More  gossip— General  Armstrong 
sails— Madame  Bonaparte  does  not— Her  letter  of  ex- 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

PAGE 

planation — "  Little  Baltimore  beauty" — An  astonishing 
paragraph  in  the  French  papers — Napoleon's  opinion  of 
his  brother  Joseph — Joseph's  remarkable  letter  to 
Jerome       88 


CHAPTER    V. 

Robert  Patterson — Paul  Bentalou — Lucien  Bonaparte — 
The  scandalous  paragraph — Maupertuis — Miss  Caton — 
Duke  of  Wellington — General  Armstrong  on  marriage 
— More  letters  from  Robert  Patterson — Letters  of  Dacres 
in  Halifax — Sensation  in  New  York — Young  couple 
shipwrecked  in  the  Delaware — Madame  Bonaparte  first 
in  the  life-boat — Narrow  escape  from  drowning — Balti- 
more and  Philadelphia  out-sensation  New  York — Phila- 
delphia comes  out  best — More  letters  from  Mr.  Patter- 
son— Young  couple  encounter  44  guns — Madame  Bona- 
parte's courage — The  gentleman  who  came  out  with 
John — A  great  wheel — Excursion  into  the  wilds — Mons. 
P.  de  Maupertuis  at  the  wheel— His  wonderful  letters 
— His  leagues  of  cable — Jerome's  disgrace — Coronation 
of  Napoleon  and  Josephine — The  world  is  dazzled  .     .  104 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Maupertuis  retires — Napoleon  appears  again — His  prestige 
— Battle  of  Austerlitz — Young  couple  contemplate  sail- 
ing— Reflections  on  the  embarkation — Robert  Patterson 
on  speculation — General  Smith  again — P.  Cuneo  De  Or- 
nano — His  letter — Mr.  Patterson's  letter — General  Arm- 
strong— Letter  from  M.  Meyronet  to  Jerome — Mr. 
Patterson  alarmed — He  writes  in  cipher — The  Moniteur 
— Lucien  Bonaparte  in  prison — Jerome  to  be  thrown 
in  prison — Betsy  to  be  sent  back — The  young  couple 
embark  for  Europe — Departuro  from  Baltimore — Gen- 
eral Tuerreau,  French  Minister — Jerome's  horses — Mr. 


Xiv  CONTENTS. 

PAdE 

Carrero  — li  London-particular-three-years-old-wine"  — 
General  Rewbell's  letter — Jonathan  Jones — Wet  letters 
— Bordeaux  Gazette 137 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Young  couple  on  the  sea ! — Robert  Patterson  in  Paris — 
General  Rewbell — The  Erin  safe — Sad  news  in  cipher — 
Storms  of  wit — Deception  "  all  the  go" — Nineteen  days 
at  sea — Blue  hills  of  Portugal — Letter  from  Bonaparte 
— "  Sea-sick  never  kills  nobody" — Foreign  gossip — 
Letters  in  cipher — The  cipher  changed — Gossip  in 
Boston— The  u  Columbian  Centinel"  irate— The  Bona- 
partes  lampooned— Letters  of  Dacres  published — Phila- 
delphia and  the  Moniteur — Bentalou  and  Skipwith — 
Mr.  Livingston's  treaty—''  Bills" — Another  letter  from 
Lille — Affairs  in  Holland — Mr.  Schimmelpenninck — 
Madame  Bonaparte  not  allowed  to  land  in  Holland — 
Sylvanus  Bourne  pleads  her  cause — She  is  placed  under 
guns — Mr.  Bourne's  letter — Gossip  in  London — Madame 
Bonaparte  goes  there — Jerome  and  Le  Camus  at  Genoa  168 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Robert  Patterson  at  Dover — His  letter  from  that  place — Je- 
rome Bonaparte  again — Mr.  Monroe  and  Mr.  Patter- 
son— Madame  Bonaparte  going  to  the  Continent — Her 
letter  to  her  father — Mr.  Patterson  writes  from  London — 
— Another  letter  from  Madame  Bonaparte — Marchioness 
of  Donnegal — General  Tuerreau — Mr.  Monroe — Deceit- 
fulness  of  the  French — Dr.  Gamier  is  deceptive — He 
recommends  Madame  Bonaparte  to  go  home — Jerome 
does  the  same — She  goes  when  ready — Le  Camus  again 
— Napoleon's  speech — Jerome  at  Malmaison — He  writes 
to  the  Emperor — The  Emperor's  reply — Jerome's  mar- 


CONTENTS.  xv 

mil 

riage  has  no  existence — Mr.  Mcllhiny  of  London — 
Madame  Bonaparte  and  child  embark  for  home — Captain 
Bentalou  writes  again — Amusing  letters — Jerome  de- 
jected— His  "  little  girl"  affair— lt  My  dear  little  wife" 
— Queen  of  Etruria  spurns  Jerome — His  second  mar- 
riage— Jereme  Napoleon  Bonaparte — His  death — His 
letter 250 


THE 


BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE, 


CHAPTER   I. 

Jerome  Bonaparte — He  visits  Baltimore — Commodore  Bar- 
ney— Miss  Elizabeth  Patterson — Her  great  beauty — Jerome 
proposes  marriage — Gossip  and  scandal — Anonymous  letters 
— The  marriage — Tranquillity  restored — Young  couple  visit 
Washington  City — General  Tuerreau — General  Smith — His 
letter  about  M  Betsy" — Mr.  Patterson  writes  to  Minister  Liv- 
ingston— Napoleon  angry  on  account  of  the  marriage — Letters 
from  the  President  of  the  United  States  on  the  subject — 
Specks  of  war — Napoleon  and  Agamemnon — Robert  Patterson 
goes  to  Paris — Delicate  diplomacy — Mr.  Livingston's  views — 
Letters  from  Miss  Monroe — Madame  Louis  Bonaparte  in  Paris 
— Madame  Campan — Citizen  Genet — Fulwar  Skipwith — Cap- 
tain Paul  Bentalou,  of  Baltimore. 

Jerome  Bonaparte,  youngest  brother  of  Napo- 
leon I.,  Emperor  of  France,  was  born  on  the  15th  day 
of  December  1784,  at  Ajaccio,  on  the  island  of  Cor- 
sica, in  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Educated  princi- 
pally under  Madame  Campan  in  and  near  Paris,  he 
was,  in  early  life,  placed  in  the  naval  service  of  France, 
where  he  remained  till  the  year  1801. 

2  (25) 


26  ;  >      'llTE  RONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

Styling  himself  conqueror  and  pacificator,  Napo- 
leon, in  November  of  that  year,  sent  an  expedition  in 
command  of  General  Leclerc,  his  brother-in-law,  to 
crush  an  insurrection  of  the  negroes  on  the  island  of 
St.  Domingo ;  and  Jerome,  as  lieutenant  under  him, 
accompanied  that  large  army.  The  expedition  termi- 
nated unsuccessfully  and  fatally,  a  greater  part  of  the 
men  being  swept  away  by  fever  and  by  the  sword. 

Jerome  soon  returned  to  France  as  bearer  of  dis- 
patches ;  and,  receiving  there  an  independent  com- 
mand, sailed  for  the  island  of  Martinique ;  and 
cruised  between  St.  Pierre  and  Tobago  during  the 
hostilities  between  England  and  France  in  1803 ;  but 
for  some  reason  not  given  left  the  station  in  the  same 
year,  and  sailed  for  New  York  in  command  of  a 
French  frigate.  The  broadcast  fame  of  Napoleon 
insured  for  Jerome  a  cordial  reception  in  America, 
and  he  was  received  with  great  honors  wherever  he 
went. 

In  1796,  Captain  Joshua  Barney,  of  the  American 
navy,  received  a  rank  in  the  French  service  equal  to 
that  of  a  commodore  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States;  and  had  been  employed  in  the  West  Indies 
ui i dor  French  colors  ;  but  from  this  service  he  obtained 
a  final  release  in  1802,  and  returned  to  his  home  in 
Baltimore.  His  young  Corsican  friend,  and  com- 
panion in  the  French  service,  soon  found  his  way  from 
Now  York  to  Baltimore,  and  met  with  a  distinguished 
reception  from  Captain  Barney  and  other  prominent 
citizens  of  the  place.  At  the  house  of  Samuel  Chase, 
one  of  the  Maryland  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 


THE  BONA  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE.  27 

Independence,  Captain  Bonaparte  met  a  great  num- 
ber of  persons  in  "  high  social,  political,  and  literary 
life."  Here  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Patterson,  daughter  of  William  Patterson,  Es- 
quire, a  highly  respectable  and  wealthy  Irish  mer- 
chant of  that  city. 

This  beautiful  and  accomplished  young  lady,  it  is 
alleged,  had  declared  prophetically,  long  before  she 
had  seen  young  Bonaparte,  that  some  day  or  other  she 
would  become  a  great  lady  in  France ;  and  at  a  party 
where  they  met  soon  after  their  acquaintance,  Bona- 
parte's gold  chain  was  accidentally  thrown  around 
her  neck,  entangling  itself  so  as  to  hold  her  fast ; 
and  as  he  gracefully  disentangled  it,  she  called  to 
mind  her  strange  prophecy.  From  that  hour  we  may 
safely  date  the  beginning  of  her  eventful  matrimonial 
experience. 

Freighted  with  the  weight  of  a  great  foreign  name, 
Jerome  speedily  gained  those  advantages  in  American 
society  for  which  distinguished  foreigners  in  every 
period  of  our  history  have  been  so  remarkable.  Less 
himself  than  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  arrived  in 
Baltimore,  Miss  Patterson,  though  possessed  of  great 
beauty,  was  less  than  eighteen ;  and  it  is  said  "  she 
strikingly  resembled  the  Bonaparte  family."  Be- 
coming strongly  attached  to  her,  probably  from  first 
sight,  she  was  sent  to  Virginia  to  escape  his  atten- 
tions ;  but  the  attachment  was  mutual,  and  remon- 
strances were  therefore  in  vain.  That  strong  passion 
which  blunts  the  mind  and  obscures  the  vision  was 
the  ruling  passion ;  and  a  license  for  their  marriage 


28  THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

issued  from  the  Baltimore  County  Court-House  on 
the  29th  of  October  1803.  Strong  and  rapidly 
formed  currents  of  affection,  like  all  others,  meet 
grave  obstacles  in  their  course,  and  this  was  strik- 
ingly true  with  respect  to  the  case  in  point ;  for,  in 
the  language  of  the  young  lady's  father,  "  the  mar- 
riage was  broken  off,"  even  after  the  license  formally 
issued.  The  most  splendid  preparations  had  been 
made  for  the  ceremony — preparations  sufficiently  bril- 
liant to  eclipse  those  of  vice-regal  days  in  the  olden 
time,  when  blue  wreaths  of  smoke,  betraying  the 
half-hidden  mansion  and  proclaiming  the  costly  ban- 
quet, ascended  gracefully  through  the  trees  from  a 
thousand  hospitable  chimneys. 

Amid  these  preparations  for  the  sacred  altar, 
however,  gossip  stood  tip-toe  and  scandal  rampant. 
Family  ancestries  were  discussed  and  character  vili- 
fied. The  Patterson  family  of  Baltimore  stood  high 
and  honorable  upon  firm  foundations  of  wealth  and 
merit.  The  worthy  head  of  that  family,  William 
Patterson,  Esq.,  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with 
Robert  Morris  and  Stephen  Girard,  of  Philadelphia, 
with  open  purse,  bearing  the  financial  weight  of  the 
Revolution,  and  the  subsequent  dark  days  of  the 
republic.  He  enjoyed  in  a  high  degree  the  friendship 
of  Washington,  La  Fayette,  and  Carroll,  and  could 
claim  companionship  with  Smallwood,  Gist,  Howard, 
Smith,  and  Williams.  Though  no  soldier  himself,  his 
great  wealth  and  popularity  cheerfully  marched  to 
the  music  of  Independence.  He  cordially  welcomed 
the  French  fleet  which  landed  the  forces  of  Rocham- 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE.  29 

beau  at  Newport  in  1781 ;  and,  extending  his  hos- 
pitalities still  further  with  those  of  his  patriotic 
countrymen,  welcoming  Count  de  Estaing  in  the 
Chesapeake,  he  thus  contributed  largely  to  the  sur- 
render of  Cornwallis,  and  to  the  independence  of  the 
New  World,  while  adulation  even  failed  to  endow  the 
Bonaparte  family  with  that  ancient  and  honorable 
ancestry  which  it  essayed  to  claim.  Napoleon  well 
knew  that  his  own  abilities  and  performances  would 
constitute  about  all  the  nobility  he  could  boast,  and 
he  should  have  been  wisely  acting  upon  this  know- 
ledge at  the  time  of  Jerome's  marriage. 

In  six  days  after  the  29th  of  October  1803,  the 
day  on  which,  as  before  stated,  the  license  for  the 
marriage  of  Jerome  with  Miss  Patterson  issued,  the 
father  of  the  young  lady  received  an  anonymous  com- 
munication which  he  carefully  endorsed  with  the  fol- 
lowing words :  "  Received  this  letter  by  the  Penny 
Post,  on  Saturday,  5th  November  1803,  at  one  o'clock 

P.  M." 

"  Is  it  possible,  sir,"  inquires  the  writer,  "you  can 
so  far  forget  yourself,  and  the  happiness  of  your  child, 
as  to  consent  to  her  marrying  Mr.  Bonaparte?  If 
you  knew  him,  you  never  would,  as  misery  must  be 
her  portion — he  who  but  a  few  months  ago  destroyed 
the  peace  and  happiness  of  a  respectable  family  in 
Nantz  by  promising  marriage,  then  ruined,  leaving 
her  to  misery  and  shame.  What  has  been  his  con- 
duct in  the  West  Indies  ?  There  ruined  a  lovely 
young  woman  who  had  only  been  married  for  a  few 
weeks  i      He    parted    her   from    her    husband,     and 


30  THE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  31  A  RE  TA  GE. 

destroyed  that  family  !  and  here,  what  is  his  conduct  ? 
At  the  very  moment  he  was  demanding  your  daughter 
in  marriage  he  ruined  a  young  French  girl,  whom 
he  now  leaves  also  in  misery  !  His  conduct  at  Nantz 
and  in  the  West  Indies  has  already  reached  his  bro- 
ther's ears,  and  he  dares  not  appear  before  him  ! 
His  voyage  to  this  country  proves  it !  He  now  wishes 
to  secure  himself  a  home  at  your  expense  until  things 
can  be  arranged  for  his  return  to  France,  when  rest 
assured  he  will  be  the  first  to  turn  your  daughter  off, 
and  laugh  at  your  credulity  !  Nothing  that  can  be 
done  will  be  binding  on  him ;  and  if  you  knew  his 
moral  character  of  dissipation,  you  would  never !  no, 
never  !  even  with  the  approbation  of  his  family,  trust 
your  daughter  to  him.  Then  take  advice  in  time  and 
break  off  everything  before  it  is  too  late.  Let  nothing 
on  earth  tempt  you  to  such  an  union  !  What  is  here 
said  may  be  depended  upon,  and  much  more  might  be 
said,  for,  without  exception,  he  is  the  most  profligate 
young  man  of  the  age.  Demand  seriously  of  Miss 
Wheeler,  and  you  will  there  find  he  has  already 
demanded  her  in  marriage  with  the  same  intentions  ! 
Will  he  marry  your  daughter  at  the  Catholic  church 
before  the  Bishop  in  open  day,  as  did  his  friend  ?  I 
say  no  !  because  he  knows  such  a  marriage  would  be 
in  some  measure  binding  upon  him ;  but  that  he  will 
not  do,  nor  anything  else  that  will  appear  against 
him.  Trust  not  his  honor  !  there  never  was  any  in 
his  family  !     Yours,  A  Friend." 

This  letter  is  well  written,  in  a  bold  hand,  but  with- 
out date.     The  writer  appears  to  have  been  possessed 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  31 

of  some  scholarly  ability,  but,  judging  from  his  pro- 
duction, he  evidently  labored  to  conceal  it,  and  as 
much  as  possible  disguise  his  penmanship. 

After  this  letter  had  reposed  in  silence  and  oblivion 
for  almost  three-quarters  of  a  century,  perhaps  dis- 
regarded from  first  to  last  by  its  custodians,  it  was 
sold  in  the  Baltimore  market,  and  purchased  with  the 
other  letters  quoted  in  this  book  ;  and  the  Bonaparte- 
Patterson  correspondence,  telling  its  stories  of  wonder 
to  another  generation,  is  still  in  perfect  preservation. 

Notwithstanding  the  "breaking  off,"  and  the  warn- 
ings fulminated  from  various  quarters,  the  contem- 
plated marriage  did  take  place  on  Saturday,  Christ- 
mas Eve,  December  the  24th  1803.  In  the  Baltimore 
"Federal  Gazette"  of  Tuesday,  the  27th  day  of  that 
month,  the  marriage  is  thus  noticed : 

u  Married,  on  Saturday  evening  last,  by  the  Reverend  Bishop 
Carroll,  Mr.  Jerome  Bonaparte,  youngest  brother  of  the  First 
Consul  of  the  French  Republic,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Patterson, 
eldest  daughter  of  William  Patterson,  Esquire,  of  this  city." 

No  commentator  upon  the  event  adds  another  word  in 
the  same  paper  ;  but  a  writer  in  the  New  American 
Cyclopaedia  says  :  "  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed by  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore,  John  Carroll, 
brother  of  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  the  signer 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  the  ritual  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
The  marriage  contract,  considered  of  importance,  was 
drawn  up  by  Alexander  J.  Dallas,  subsequently  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury,  and  witnessed  by  several  offi- 
cial personages,  including  the  Mayor  of  Baltimore." 


32  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

For  a  short  season  after  the  marriage,  tranquillity- 
appeared  to  be  restored  along  the  lines  of  gossip,  and 
the  monster  Slander,  fat  from  devouring  the  pyramid 
of  his  recent  spoils,  retired  from  the  field — perhaps  to 
go  into  hibernation  for  the  winter.  But  not  so  fast ! 
On  the  14th  of  January  1804,  about  three  weeks  after 
the  marriage,  Mr.  Patterson,  the  bride's  father,  feels 
the  force  of  another  anonymous  missile,  hurled  at  him 
with  considerable  violence,  by  some  Frenchman,  if 
we  credit  his  own  story,  who  appeared  quite  illiterate, 
perhaps  as  far  only  as  handling  the  British  language 
was  concerned. 

"  Sir,"  writes  he,  dating  as  above,  "  this  is  to 
inform  you  as  a  friend  that  you  must  be  aware  of 
your  son-in-law,  as  you  may  now  turn  him,  Bonaparty, 
for  he  has  made  his  brags  and  boastings,  before  his 
marriage,  that  he  would  get  married  to  your  daughter, 
and  then  *  *  *  *  he  would  leave  her  and  go  home 
to  his  brother  in  France.  This  he  has  told  in  public 
company  before  several ;  and  likewise  that  when  he 
goes  to  France,  he  will  still  be  a  single  man,  and  she 
may  then  go  to  the  devil  for  all  he  cares ;  and  I  and 
many  others  you  may  be  assured  must  think  the  same 
— certainly  of  such  a  French  fop  of  a  fool.  So  there- 
fore, as  a  friend,  I  warn  you  of  him  in  time,  as  he 
has  declared  the  above.    Your  friend,  A  Frenchman." 

Though  coming  from  anonymous  writers,  the  most 
contemptible  class  of  characters  that  afflict  society, 
these  letters,  in  the  light  of  surrounding  circumstances, 
must  have  been  very  painful  to  Mr.  Patterson.  About 
this  time  Mr.  Robert  Patterson,  his  son,  proceeds  to 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MA  RRTA  GE.  33 

France,  and  Jerome  takes  his  bride  to  Washington 
City,  to  visit  General  Tuerreau,  the  French  Envoy  to 
this  country.  On  their  way  thither,  in  the  rough 
coaches  of  the  times,  their  experience  must  have  been 
quite  lively.  Under  date  of  Sunday,  February  5th, 
1804,  General  Samuel  Smith,  of  Maryland,  then  in 
Congress,  writes  to  the  bride's  father  in  Baltimore,  as 
follows : — "  Dear  sir  :  Betsy's  great  presence  of  mind 
and  firmness  of  character  preserved  her  last  night. 
Coming  in  after  night,  the  coachman  was  thrown  from 
the  box.  Mr.  Bonaparte  jumped  out,  but  could  not 
stop  the  horses.  They  went  on,  but  regularly.  Find- 
ing her  danger  increased,  she  opened  the  door,  and 
jumped  out  into  the  snow,  without  receiving  any 
injury." 

On  the  subject  of  the  marriage,  Mr.  Patterson,  the 
bride's  father,  addresses  a  letter  to  Hon.  Robert  R. 
Livingston,  of  New  York,  American  Minister  to 
France,  resident  in  Paris  : 

"  Sir,"  writes  he,  dating  Baltimore,  February  10th 
1804,  "  I  take  the  liberty  of  enclosing  you  two  letters 
that  were  transmitted  to  me  from  the  Department  of 
State  at  Washington,  relating  to  the  late  marriage  of 
Mr.  Jerome  Bonaparte  with  my  daughter.  The  object 
of  these  letters,  as  I  am  informed,  is  to  give  you 
information  on  that  subject,  that  you  may  be  pre- 
pared to  explain  or  repel  any  unfavorable  or  undue 
impression  it  might  make  on  the  mind  of  the  First 
Consul,  or  any  of  the  family,  as  it  respects  the  heads 
of  department,  or  myself.  I  am  sorry  I  was  not  per- 
sonally known  to  you  in  this  country,  as  it  might 


34  THE  BONAPA  R TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA OE. 

have  facilitated  my  wishes  of  reconciling  Mr.  Bona- 
parte's friends  to  the  steps  he  has  taken ;  yet  I  can 
assure  you  with  truth,  that  I  never,  directly  nor 
indirectly,  countenanced  or  gave  Mr.  Bonaparte  the 
smallest  encouragement  to  address  my  daughter  ;  but 
on  the  contrary,  resisted  his  pretensions  by  every 
means  in  my  power  consistent  with  discretion.  Find- 
ing, however,  that  the  mutual  attachment  they  had 
formed  for  each  other  was  such,  that  nothing  short 
of  force  and  violence  could  prevent  their  union,  I 
with  much  reluctance  consented  to  their  wishes.  It 
is,  however,  now  equally  my  duty  and  inclination  to 
give  the  event  that  has  taken  place  the  best  possible 
direction  it  is  susceptible  of;  and  for  this  purpose, 
and  to  reconcile  Mr.  Bonaparte's  family  to  the  match 
as  far  as  may  be  practicable,  may  I  therefore  request 
your  friendly  attention  in  a  suitable  representation 
of  the  contents  of  these  letters  I  have  now  the  honor 
of  enclosing  you  ?  and  if  necessary,  and  you  should 
think  it  proper,  that  you  will  have  the  goodness  to 
furnish  the  First  Consul  with  copies  of  the  President's 
and  Secretary's  letters  to  you ;  but  this  must  be  left 
entirely  to  your  discretion,  as  I  know  not  whether  it 
would  be  perfectly  proper  or  not.  You  will  particu- 
larly oblige  me  by  advising  me  of  the  result  of  your 
communications  with  Mr.  Bonaparte's  family;  and 
whether  his  marriage  is  likely  to  meet  with  their 
approbation  or  not.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with 
great  respect,  sir,  your  most  humble  servant." 

It  does  not  appear  that  Mr.  Patterson  had  copies 
of  the  letters  from  the  Department  of  State  at  Wash- 


THE  B  OX  A  PA  R  TE-  PA  TTERSOX  MARRIA  GE.  35 

ington  which  he  transmitted  to  Mr.  Livingston  at 
Paris ;  but  in  his  own  letter  quoted  above,  he  clearly 
states  their  object,  and  copies  cannot  be  given  here. 

Thinkers  in  the  United  States  appeared  to  be 
puzzled  to  determine  the  course  the  "  Regulator  of 
Europe"  would  take  for  revenge  on  account  of 
Jerome's  marriage  to  an  American  lady.  Gossip, 
however,  took  high  ground,  and  dealt  largely  in 
rumors,  hailing  from  Paris  and  from  Washington,  to 
the  effect  that  after  a  conquest  of  Britain,  Napoleon 
would  turn  his  arms  against  the  United  States. 

This  wedding  stood  perhaps  without  a  parallel 
since  the  mythic  days  of  old  Troy,  when  the  son  of 
Priam,  destined  from  his  birth  to  set  all  Ilium  in 
flames,  was  promised  by  the  fickle  Goddess  of  Beauty 
the  fairest  woman  in  the  world  for  his  wife.  Helen, 
whom  the  multitudinous  gods  of  Greece  had  endowed 
with  the  most  extraordinary  charms,  when  dancing  at 
a  festival  in  the  Temple  of  Diana,  was  seized  on 
account  of  her  beauty  and  carried  off  by  Theseus; 
but  after  a  time  was  rescued  and  brought  back  by  her 
brothers,  Castor  and  Pollux.  Rejecting  an  army  of 
distinguished  suitors,  she  at  last  become  the  wife  of 
Menelaus,  King  of  Sparta;  but  beauty,  one  of  the 
greatest  afflictions  that  can  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  young 
lady,  would  not  let  her  rest  with  a  king.  Paris,  the 
gay  and  adventurous  son  of  King  Priam,  travelling 
in  the  territories  of  Greece,  violated  the  hospitalities 
of  Sparta,  and  kindled  the  flames  of  war  by  carrying 
off  Helen  as  his  promised  beauty ;  and  a  war  of  ten 
years'  duration  was  waged  against  Troy,  which  re- 


36  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRTAGE. 

suited  in  the  destruction  of  the  city  and  the  restora- 
tion of  Helen.  French  and  American  gossip  therefore 
maintained  that,  but  for  the  war  between  France  and 
England  at  the  time  of  Jerome's  marriage,  the  French 
arms,  on  this  account,  would  have  been  turned  against 
the  United  States  ;  and  in  leading  to  battle  the  armies 
of  a  great  nation  to  revenge  a  marriage,  Napoleon,  in 
his  fury,  would  have  figured  before  the  enlightened 
juries  of  another  era  as  the  full-blown  antitype  of 
Agamemnon. 

Ys  swift  scuds  of  war  appeared  to  fly  across  the 
canopies  of  imagination,  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  landed 
in  France  to  inspect  the  signs  of  the  times,  and  if 
possible  feel  the  pulse  of  Napoleon  on  the  subject  of 
his  sister's  marriage.  He  arrived  in  Paris  on  the 
11th  day  of  March  1804.  On  the  12th  he  addressed 
a  letter  to  his  father  in  Baltimore. 

"I  arrived  here  yesterday,"  writes  he,  dating  as 
above,  "  and  immediately  waited  on  our  Minister.  I 
found  that  in  consequence  of  letters  received  from 
Mr.  Madison  and  General  Smith,  he  was  making 
every  exertion  to  reconcile  Bonaparte  to  his  brother's 
marriage.  He  has  stated  to  the  brothers  of  the 
Consul  and  the  other  distinguished  characters  about 
the  court,  that  Mr.  Jerome  Bonaparte  could  not  in 
America  have  made  a  more  respectable  connection 
than  he  has  made;  and  to  think  of  annulling  his 
marriage  would  be  scandalizing  the  most  sacred  of 
human  engagements. 

"  Bonaparte  is  of  a  very  irritable  temper,  and  as 
he  is  at  present  highly  incensed  with  his  brother,  he 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  37 

might,  were  he  here,  take  some  violent  measures  with 
him — still,  Mr.  Livingston  thinks  he  will  after  awhile 
become  better  satisfied  with  the  union ;  and  as  he 
has  by  his  conduct  hitherto  uniformly  endeavored  to 
impress  on  the  world  the  highest  idea  of  his  moral 
character,  he  will  not  lightly,  in  this  present  affair, 
do  anything  to  impeach  or  bring  that  character  in 
question. 

"  When  the  account  of  Mr.  Jerome  Bonaparte's 
intentions  first  reached  the  consular  ear,  he  had  de- 
termined to  recall  him  instantly.  Since  the  marriage 
has  taken  place,  I  believe  it  is  his  intention  he  should 
remain  in  America  for  some  time.  Mr.  Joseph  Bo- 
naparte has  consulted  Mr.  Livingston  respecting  the 
most  eligible  place  for  Jerome  to  reside  at,  and  spoke 
of  making  a  provision  for  him  by  investing  100,000 
crowns  in  the  American  funds,  but  wished  to  know 
what  Mr.  Livingston  thought  necessary.  Mr.  Living- 
ston observed,  he  ought  in  the  first  place  to  have  a 
town-house  to  cost  about  $30,000,  and  that  a  country- 
seat  was  indispensable  to  retire  to  in  case  of  a  yellow 
fever,  which  he  estimated  at  §25,000;  and  that  to 
support  this  establishment,  it  would  require  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  To 
this  the  other  replied,  they  intended  he  should  live 
in  America  as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
they  thought  the  calculation  was  much  too  high.  I 
wish  most  sincerely  Mr.  Livingston  may  prevail  on 
Mr.  Bonaparte's  friends  to  invest  a  sufficiency  in  our 
stocks  to  produce  $20,000  per  annum,  as  with  that 
income  he    may  live    as    happily  in  America   as    in 


38  THE  B  ONAPA  li  TE-PA  TTEPSON  MAURI  A  GE. 

Europe  ;  and  I  am  convinced  Mr.  Livingston  will 
endeavor  to  fix  the  sum  as  high  as  possible,  should 
the  scheme  of  investing  a  sum  in  the  stocks  of  the 
United  States  for  his  permanent  support  be  finally 
determined  on.  Mr.  Livingston  intends  demanding 
an  audience,  when  he  will  deliver  Jerome  Bonaparte's 
letter  to  the  Consul  which  announces  his  marriage. 
This  is  the  letter  you  sent  Mr.  Monroe.  Mr.  Living- 
ston will  do  all  in  his  power  to  reconcile  him  to  the 
marriage.  For  the  present,  it  will  be  much  better 
the  parties  should  remain  in  America;  but  should  he 
be  directed  to  return,  I  am  clearly  of  opinion  she 
ought  to  accompany  him,  as,  his  being  here  and  with- 
out her,  his  affection  might  possibly  suffer  a  diminu- 
tion, which  would  be  very  dangerous  in  the  present 
situation  of  things ;  and  in  case  of  not  being  recog- 
nised by  l|is  friends,  which  is  placing  it  in  the  most 
possible  point  of  view,  she  would  have  an  asylum  in 
the  house  of  our  Minister. 

"  I  brought  letters,  from  Miss  Monroe  to  Madame 
Louis  Bonaparte,  who  was  at  the  same  academy  with 
her,  and  to  Madame  Campan,  their  preceptor.  This 
lady  is  sister  to  Genet,  and  is  very  intimate  with  the 
consular  family.  Mr.  Skipwith  is  also  very  intimate 
with  this  lady,  and  has  promised  to  introduce  me  to 
her.  From  her  situation,  she  has  it  in  her  power, 
and  will  most  probably  be  useful,  as  Miss  Monroe 
speaks  to  her  in  the  highest  terms  of  my  sister. 

"  This  is  intended  to  go  by  a  Mr.  Hinch,  who  goes 
direct  to  Baltimore  from  Bordeaux.  He  leaves  this 
place  early  in  the  morning.     In  the  course  of  a  few 


day 


THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE.  3  9 


days  I  trust  it  will  be  in  my  power  to  give  you  some 
more  satisfactory  information.  In  the  interim,  I  re- 
main yours  very  affectionately." 

It  will  be  discovered  that  Mr.  Robert  Patterson, 
on  reaching  Paris,  engaged  immediately  in  the  most 
delicate  diplomacy.  For  the  information  of  youthful 
readers,  we  will  state  that  Minister  Livingston,  whom 
Mr.  Patterson  so  frequently  mentions  in  the  above 
letter,  was  Chancellor  Livingston,  of  New  York,  who, 
6n  the  30th  of  April  1789,  administered  the  oath  of 
office  to  General  "Washington,  first  President  of  the 
United  States,  on  the  balcony  of  the  old  Federal  Hall 
in  New  York  City.  From  Miss  Monroe  in  England, 
daughter  of  Hon.  James  Monroe,  then  Minister  to 
the  Court  of  London,  Mr.  Patterson  brought  letters 
to  Madame  Louis  Bonaparte,  who  was  at  the  same 
academy  with  her,  and  to  Madame  Campan  their 
preceptress,  who  had  also  been  the  preceptress  of 
Jerome.  This  lady  was  the  sister  of  Citizen  Genet, 
who,  during  the  administration  of  Washington,  was 
the  French  Minister  to  this  country,  and  who  subse- 
quently married  the  daughter  of  De  Witt  Clinton, 
of  New  York.  Mr.  Patterson  met  in  Paris  Fulwar 
Skipwith,  Esq.,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  United 
States  to  France,  and  Paul  Bentalou  of  Baltimore, 
who,  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  was  a  distin- 
guished officer  in  Count  Pulaski's  Legion  of  Cavalry. 
In  the  person  of  Captain  Bentalou  Mr.  Patterson 
found  a  faithful  friend,  and  an  able  interpreter  of  the 
French  language. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Biographical  sketch  ot  the  members  of  the  Bonaparte 
family — Thoughts  on  Jerome's  marriage — Robert  Patterson's 
second  letter — Hopes  of  reconciliation — Jerome  to  be  estab- 
lished in  America — Lucien  Bonaparte's  opinions — Paul  Ben- 
talou's  hopeful  letter — Dining  with  Lucien — Napoleon's  dis- 
pleasure manifest — Stirring  appeal  to  arras — Britain  to  be 
conquered — Mr.  Patterson's  third  letter — Mr.  Livingston  again 
— A  call  on  Joseph  Bonaparte — He  is  silent — Lucien's  char- 
acter— Silence  in  France — Robert  goes  to  Amsterdam — French 
frigates  plough  towards  New  York — Napoleon's  silence  broken 
— Pichon  in  New  York — French  captains  and  the  "young 
person/ ' 

As  the  names  of  the  Bonaparte  family  are  so  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  the  following  pages,  we  depart 
from  our  main  subject  to  give  a  short  biographical 
sketch  of  each  member  belonging  to  it,  at  the  time 
of  Jerome's  marriage.  Carlo  Bonaparte,  of  the  island 
of  Corsica,  was  the  father  of  the  Bonapartes  of  France. 
He  was  born  in  Ajaccio,  the  capital  city  of  that 
island,  on  the  29th  of  March  1746.  At  that  time 
the  island  was  under  the  government  of  Genoa.  Carlo 
studied  law  at  the  university  of  Pisa,  and  became  one 
of  the  most  popular  jurists  of  his  times.  When 
about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  fell  in  love  with 
Letizia  Ramolino,  then  in  her  fourteenth  year ;  but 
in  the  Corsican  war  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Genoa, 
he  was  a  Paolist,  and  she  of  the  Genoese  party ;  and 
for  this  reason  their  marriage  did  not  take  place  for 

(40) 


THE  B  ON  A  Pa  1 R  TE-PA  TTE 11  SON  MA  RRIA  GE.  41 

several  years  later.  In  1769,  Corsica  submitted  to 
the  dominion  of  France,  and  the  children  of  Carlo 
Bonaparte  were  therefore  born  French  subjects. 

Joseph,  the  first  child  of  Carlo  and  Letizia,  was 
born  at  Corte,  on  the  island  of  Corsica,  January  7th 
1768,  and  died  in  Florence,  July  28th  1844.  He  was 
educated  at  Autun  and  Pisa,  studied  law  at  Ajaccio, 
and  became  a  member  of  General  Paoli's  cabinet  in 
1792.  He  was  married  to  the  daughter  of  Monsieur 
Clary,  a  wealthy  banker  of  Marseilles,  who  made  his 
money  as  a  ship  broker.  In  1797,  he  was  elected 
from  his  native  island  to  the  Council  of  Five  Hundred 
at  Paris  ;  but  was  soon  sent  by  the  French  Directory 
as  Ambassador  to  the  Court  of  Rome.  While  Napo- 
eon  was  in  Egypt,  Joseph  returned  from  Rome,  re- 
sumed his  seat  in  the  Council ;  and  with  his  brother 
Lucien,  inaugurated  the  scheme,  which  conducted 
Napoleon  to  the  First  Consulship  of  France.  The  suc- 
cess of  this  scheme  made  Joseph  Chief  Councillor  of 
State ;  which  office  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  brother 
Jerome's  marriage.  Coming  to  America  about  the 
year  1816,  after  the  downfall  of  Napoleon,  Joseph 
resided  near  Bordentown,  New  Jersey,  till  the  year 
1842.  His  park  and  grounds  there,  comprised  about 
1500  acres  of  land ;  and  his  mansion  was  enriched 
with  the  most  exquisite  works  of  art  in  painting  and 
sculpture,  for  the  gratification  of  himself  and  friends. 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  second  son  of  Carlo  and  Le- 
tizia, was  born  at  Ajaccio,  on  the  15th  of  August 
17fii>,  and  died  on  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  May  5th 
1821.     Like  other  boys,  Napoleon  when  quite  young 


42  THE  B  ONA  PA  It  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  R  R I A  GE. 

took  great  delight  in  following  companies  of  soldiers ; 
and  soon  distinguished  himself  among  his  fellows  by 
drilling  them  in  stone-battles,  and  teaching  them 
artillery  practice  by  the  use  of  a  small  brass  cannon. 
He  was  principally  educated  at  the  royal  .college  in 
his  native  city,  the  college  of  Autun,  and  the  military 
school  at  Brienne,  where  he  was  generally  unpopular 
on  account  of  a  morose  and  thoughtful  temper  of  mind, 
operating  as  in  search  of  some  medium  through  which 
it  could  spy  out  the  future.  As  a  boy,  he  seldom 
formed  strong  attachments,  or  communicated  his 
secrets  to  others,  evincing  in  this  respect  a  remarkable 
and  unusual  caution.  Completing  his  studies  at  the 
military  school  in  Paris,  he  was  made  a  lieutenant  in 
the  French  army ;  and,  distinguished  as  a  mathe- 
matician and  military  engineer,  he  rapidly  promoted 
himself,  stepping  from  one  rank  to  another,  with  ease, 
if  convenient,  or  with  force,  if  necessary.  He  fell 
far  behind  the  general  literary  accomplishments  of  his 
contemporaries  of  like  rank,  caring  little  or  nothing 
for  those  sciences  which  adorn  and  enrich  the  heart ; 
yet  we  find  him,  at  a  very  early  age,  stealing  interviews 
with  a  young  lady,  and  indulging  in  the  sentimental 
by  eating  with  her  certain  "innocent  cherries."  He 
commenced  writing  a  history  of  the  island  of  Cor- 
sica, and  submitted  a  sample  of  his  work  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  General  Paoli,  but  failed  to  finish  it  for  some 
reason  not  given.  In  1792,  he  was  made  a  captain 
of  artillery,  a  colonel  of  infantry  in  1793,  and  in 
1704  a  brigadier-general  of  artillery.  From  these 
beginnings  he  made  the  most  rapid  strides  towards 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  43 

supremacy ;  and  whether  or  not  Europe  in  his  day 
stood  in  need  of  such  a  character,  he  was  empha- 
tically the  breaker  of  hardshells,  and  the  nurse  of 
new-fledged  monarchies.  Becoming  suddenly  armed 
with  the  most  extraordinary  powers,  he  confused  the 
boldest  thinkers;  broke  ancient  lines  at  will,  unseating, 
and,  if  we  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  unworlding, 
the  kings  of  Europe  in  his  march. 

On  the  9th  of  March  1796,  when  within  a  few 
strides  of  the  summit  of  his  fame  and  glory  as  the 
master  of  Europe,  he  married  Josephine  Beauharnais, 
a  beautiful  native  of  the  island  of  Martinique  ;  and  in 
less  than  a  week  after  left  her  in  France  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  army  of  Italy,  then  lying  in  the  defiles 
of  the  Alps  and  the  Ligurian  Apeninnes.  In  1797 
he  returned  to  Paris  as  the  "  Liberator  of  Italy ;" 
having  in  the  campaign  won  a  number  of  the  most 
brilliant  victories  on  record,  making  the  French  arms 
formidable  to  the  world.  On  the  16th  of  December 
1809  his  obedient  Senate  passed  at  command  an  act 
divorcing  him  from  his  wife,  and  poor  Josephine  re- 
tired broken-hearted  to  Malmaison  ;  and  from  that 
hour  the  star  of  Napoleon's  glory  began  to  decline. 

Unlike  the  sacred  biographers,  those  of  our  day 
drop  at  each  successive  step  a  few  words  of  censure 
from  the  characters  of  their  respective  heroes  until 
all  are  gone,  and  they  are  at  last  made  to  stand  forth 
before  another  generation  purified  by  the  pen.  Thus 
bad  great  men  who  fail  to  obtain  justification  at  the 
hands  of  a  generation  which  they  have  injured,  are 
led  to  hope  for  a  cleansing  ablution  in  the  dynamic 


44  THE  B  ONAPA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARE  I  A  GE. 

current  of  history.  Casting  his  swaths  of  dying  men 
behind  him,  Napoleon  mowed  his  way  to  thrones 
regardless  perhaps  of  even  the  accusing  voice  of 
history,  or  the  warnings  from  an  eternal  hereafter ; 
yet  he  knew  the  busy  pen  would  labor  through  long 
centuries  to  purify  his  character,  and  engrave  his 
name  on  the  star-clad  heights  of  canonization.  Such 
was  the  man  with  whom  Jerome's  wife  must  deal. 

Lucien  Bonaparte,  another  son  of  Carlo,  was  born 
May  19th  1775,  and  died  at  Viterbo,  July  29th  1840. 
In  1797  he  was  also  elected  to  the  Council  of  Five 
Hundred,  and  in  1800  he  was  sent  Ambassador  to 
Spain.  His  first  wife  was  the  daughter  of  an  inn- 
keeper at  Toulon.  These  parties  for  a  few  years 
lived  very  unhappy  together,  and  in  1797  she  died  of 
ill  treatment  and  neglect  on  the  part  of  her  husband, 
who  in  1803  was  married  the  second  time  to  the 
widow  Jourbothon,  a  rich  banker.  Refusing  to  par- 
ticipate in  Napoleon's  imperial  designs,  he  went  to 
Italy  in  1804,  where  he  lived  in  great  style  ;  and  it 
will  be  seen  that  this  fact  is  mentioned  in  some  of  the 
letters  relating  to  Jerome's  marriage. 

Elisa  Bonaparte,  sister  of  Napoleon,  was  born 
January  3d  1777,  and  died  on  the  7th  of  August 
1820.  In.  1797,  she  married  M.  Bacciochi,  a  noble- 
man, hailing  from  her  native  island.  In  1805,  she 
was  made  Princess  of  Lucca  and  Piombino  ;  and  such 
she  was  when  her  name  was  written  in  cipher  by  Mr. 
Robert  Patterson  in  the  correspondence  relating  to 
his  sister's  marriage  to  Jerome. 

Louis   Bonaparte,    brother    of    Napoleon   I.    and 


THE  B  OX  A  PAR  TE-PA  TIERS  ON  MARRIA  GE.  45 

father  of  Napoleon  III.,  was  born  on  the  2d  day  of 
September  1778,  and  died  at  Leghorn,  July  25th 
1846.  At  an  early  age,  he  entered  the  French  army, 
and  was  with  Napoleon  in  Egypt.  On  the  7th  day 
of  January  1802,  the  34th  anniversary  of  his  brother 
Joseph's  birth,  he  married  Hortense  Eugenia  Beau- 
harnais,  Queen  of  Holland.  This  he  did  in  compliance 
with  the  wishes  of  Napoleon  ;  but  the  union  was  very 
unhappy :  and,  estranged  from  the  affections  of  her 
husband,  she  subsequently  lived  a  dissolute  life  in 
Paris.     When  the  empire  of  France  was  declared  in 

1805,  Louis  was  made  Governor  of  Piedmont,  and  in 

1806,  King  of  Holland. 

Paulina  Bonaparte,  another  sister  of  Napoleon,  was 
born  October  20th  1780,  and  died  in  Florence,  June 
9th  1825.  In  1797,  she  married  General  Leclerc, 
the  commander  of  the  expedition  against  St.  Domingo. 
This  lady  was  styled  "  the  extraordinary  perfection 
of  beauty."  General  Leclerc  died  in  1802,  and  in 
1803,  Paulina  married  Camillo  Borghese,  but  their 
domestic  life  was  unhappy,  and  they  soon  separated. 

Carolina  Bonaparte,  the  youngest  sister  of  the 
family,  was  born  on  the  26th  of  March  1782,  and 
died  May  18th  1839.  She  married  General  Murat, 
the  son  of  an  hostler  at  an  inn,  but  was  made  Queen 
of  Naples  in  1808. 

It  will  be  seen  now,  that,  at  the  time  of  Jerome's 
marriage,  the  Bonaparte  family  consisted  of  Letizia, 
the  mother,  and  eight  children,  viz. :  Joseph,  Napo- 
leon, Louis,  Lucien,  Jerome,  Elisa,  Paulina,  and 
Carolina.     Napoleon  was  the  chief  of  the  family,  not 


46  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

however  by  seniority,  but  by  fortune.  Feeling  him- 
self the  acknowledged  master  of  Europe,  proudly  sup- 
ported on  his  pedestal  of  fame,  he  conducted  an  un- 
licensed traffic  in  crowns;  and,  holding  his  sceptre 
over  a  vast  empire  of  mind  also,  he  unsettled  the 
domestic  tranquillity  of  individuals,  and  loosened  the 
morals  of  his  age.  He  dealt  profanely  with  the  insti- 
tution of  marriage,  whose  foundation,  he  knew,  had 
been  divinely  laid  in  some  grand  primeval  age,  when 
Love  sung  her  holy  lullabies  over  the  first  forms  of  life, 
and  the  harmonies  of  Heaven  responded.  Trifling 
with  the  institution  of  marriage  must  sooner  or  later 
bring  upon  the  trifler  a  punishment  equal  to  that 
which  once  came  down  to  check  the  drinking  of  un- 
hallowed wine  from  the  Holy  Grails  of  Jerusalem.  If 
Jerome  had  been  left  free  to  deal  with  his  own  mar- 
riage, and  meet  its  responsibilities,  in  his  individual 
capacity,  the  world  of  eyes  would  have  discovered  his 
real  character,  and  received  a  profit  from  the  disco- 
very. On  approaching  Napoleon,  ostensibly  for  the 
purposes  of  reconciliation,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
young  man  was  further  demoralized  by  the  unholy 
light  thrown  upon  his  marriage,  and  the  imperial  raid 
upon  family  altars  built  over  the  up-welling  fountains 
of  feminine  purity. 

The  young  adventurer  was  commercially  and  socially 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  Politically  and  legally 
he  was  a  citizen  of  France.  He  could  not  have  been 
held  to  military  duty  in  the  United  States,  for  this 
would  have  been  in  antagonism  to  the  claims  of  his 
native  country,  to  which  he  owed  allegiance,  or,  per- 


THE  B  OX  A  PAR  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE.  47 

haps,  it  would  have  been  in  violation  of  treaty  stipu- 
lations. 

Commercial  and  social  contracts  entered  into  in 
compliance  with  the  statutes  and  usages  of  one  nation, 
have  invariably  been  held  as  binding  in  another  ;  and 
this  rule  has  been  more  particularly  observed  with 
respect  to  marital  contracts.  The  same  principles  are 
also  recognised  by  states,  or  political  divisions  of  na- 
tions. Parties,  therefore,  finding  the  laws  of  one 
state  hostile  to  their  marital  negotiations,  have  gone 
into  another  to  complete  them ;  but  on  their  return 
at  pleasure,  have  not  been  charged  with  a  violation 
of  the  law  of  domicile.  In  order  to  the  validity  of 
contracts,  it  has  not  been  deemed  necessary  that  the 
parties  thereto  should  take  an  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  constitution  and  government  of  the  country,  or 
division  of  country,  in  which  they  may  temporarily 
reside  at  the  time  of  making  them;  but  on  leaving 
such  nation  or  state,  in  which  their  contracts  were 
made,  to  go  to  the  place  of  their  nativity,  or  else- 
where, "  their  works  do  follow  them."  When  Mr. 
Dallas  drew  up  Jerome's  marriage  contract,  he  did 
not  deem  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  country,  or  any 
form  of  naturalization  whatever,  necessary  in  order 
to  its  fulfilment.  A  compliance  with  the  laws  of  the 
state  of  Maryland,  a  state  to  which  the  organic  law 
of  the  nation,  of  which  it  was  a  division,  had  guaran- 
teed a  certain  degree  of  sovereignty,  and  a  compliance 
with  the  divine  ritual  of  the  church  of  his  choice, 
were  the  only  conditions  necessary  to  the  entire  valid- 
ity of  the  marriage  contract,  and  the  marriage  itself; 


48  THE  BONAPAR  TE-  PA  TTERSON  M A  RR I  A  GE. 

and  nothing  short  of  violence  could  sunder  the  parties 
in  any  nation.  During  the  residence  of  Jerome  in 
America,  it  is  not  clearly  seen  how  either  his  contracts 
or  his  torts,  or  his  minority,  could  violate  the  laws  of 
France.  He  might  have  violated  them  in  the  act  of 
coming  hither,  in  the  length  of  his  stay,  in  the  neglect 
of  French  interests,  or  the  destruction  of  French  pro- 
perty in  his  custody,  so  as.  to  incur  a  punishment  jn 
his  return  ;  but  the  laws  of  France,  should  he  return, 
could  not,  we  think,  operate  upon  him,  so  as  to  annul 
a  contract  made  on  American  soil  solely  in  his  indi- 
vidual capacity.  If  a  Frenchman  under  twenty  or 
even  twenty-five  years  of  age,  could  not  marry  in  his 
own  country  without  the  consent  of  his  parents  or 
guardians,  did  the  statutes  of  France  declare  at  that 
time,  or  at  any  other,  he  could  not,  or  must  not, 
should  he  happen  to  go  there,  do  so  in  another  coun- 
try, over  which  the  French  flag  did  not  display  itself? 
We  think  not.  Can  an  individual  contract  made  on 
American  soil  in  strict  compliance  with  the  laws  of 
the  country,  be  set  aside  so  as  to  destroy  its  binding 
effect  in  every  nation  ?  Napoleon  did  put  the  French 
statutes  in  motion  in  his  Council  of  State  to  annul 
the  marriage  of  Jerome ;  but  may  we  not  venture  to 
assert  that  he  failed  for  want  of  an  offence  ?  In  calling 
his  Council  for  action  upon  this  subject,  we  think  it 
was  more  the  object  of  Napoleon  to  create,  than  to 
punish  an  offence.  An  attempt  to  nullify  a  contract 
is  a  virtual  admission  of  its  validity.  As  a  jurist,  he 
had  already  declared  that  the  marriage,  as  far  as  the 
laws  of  France  were  concerned,  was  null  and  void. 


THE  B0XAPAR7  E-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  49 


This  all  men  admitted,  for  the  marriage  did  not  take 
place  in  France.  Why  then  employ  a  grave  council 
of  state  to  nullify  that  which  was  already  a  nullity  ? 
This  is  what  thinkers  thought.  If  a  marriage  solem- 
nized  in  America  was  valid  in  Rome,  why  was  it  not 
valid  also  in  Paris  ?  The  same  authority  which  sanc- 
tioned its  validity  in  the  United  States  did  the  same 
in  France.  But  the  act  of  nullification  was  rashly 
passed  in  Paris,  perhaps,  before  a  ray  of  holy  light 
from  the  Court  of  Rome  had  fairly  touched  an  out- 
line of  the  subject.  No  violations  of  French  statutes 
had  taken  place  on  French  soil,  nor  upon  the  high 
seas  under  Gallic  colors ;  and  so,  we  think  the  Pope 
of  Rome  thought.  What  therefore  could  he  say  under 
the  circumstances,  and  what  could  he  consistently  do  ? 
He  was  called  upon  to  anathematize  something,  which 
never  had  been,  nor  never  could  be  construed  into  a 
violation  of  either  civil  or  ecclesiastical  law  in  any  coun- 
try. He  persistently  refused  to  sanction  by  his  au- 
thority the  rash  act  of  the  French  Council ;  and  when 
Jerome  knocked  for  admission  at  the  gates  of  France, 
around  his  marriage  clustered  all  the  force  and  majesty 
of  law. 

Returning  from  our  temporary  digression,  we  take 
up  the  line  of  our  subject  by  stating  that  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson's  first  letter  from  France  to  his  father  in 
Baltimore,  quoted  in  the  preceding  chapter,  was 
dated  Paris,  March  12th  1804.  Under  date  of  the 
14th  of  the  same  month  he  writes  again  from  the 
same  place: 

"Dear   Father:  I  wrote   you   on   the  12th  inst., 


"Dear 


50  THE  B  ONA  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

acquainting  you  with  my  arrival  here  on  the  preced- 
ing day,  and  giving  you  what  information  I  had  col- 
lected relative  to  what  brought  me  hither. 

"  I  am  happy  to  have  it  now  in  my  power  to  say 
something  more  satisfactory  on  the  same  subject.  On 
returning  to  my  apartments  this  morning,  after  an 
absence  from  them  for  a  few  minutes,  I  found  a  note 
from  Mr.  Lucien  Bonaparte,  couched  in  the  most 
polite  terms,  requesting  I  wTould  call  on  him,  which  I 
accordingly  did,  taking  with  me  Mr.  Bentalou.  He 
told  us  the  Consul  was  displeased  with  his  brother's 
marriage,  but  that  himself,  his  mother,  and  the  rest 
of  the  family  wTere  very  glad  of  it ;  and  that  since  he 
was  married  he  must  treat  his  wife  with  tenderness 
and  affection.  They  wish  him  to  become  a  citizen  of 
the  United  States,  and  intend  purchasing  a  quantity 
of  the  American  funds  for  him.  I  believe  it  is  not 
intended  that  he  shall  have  any  control  over  anything 
more  than  the  interest  of  whatever  sum  may  be 
invested  in  this  manner,  but  rather  suspect  some 
other  person  will  be  appointed  to  hold  them  in  trust 
for  him,  and  that  person  will  most  probably  be  your- 
self. I  am  not  sorry  Jerome  is  to  remain  in  America, 
as  I  consider  he  will  be  just  as  well  there  as  in 
Europe.  From  what  I  have  here  stated  you  will  per- 
ceive things  are  in  as  fortunate  a  train  as  we  possibly 
could  have  expected.  Mr.  Bentalou  and  myself  are 
to  dine  with  Mr.  Lucien  Bonaparte  to-morrow.  I 
shall  send  this  to  Bordeaux  to  be  forwarded." 

This  letter  was  not  received  at  Bordeaux  until  the 
31st  day  of  March.     On  the  same  day,  it  was  for- 


THE  B  OX  A  PA  R  IE- PA  T TEES OX  MARRIA  GE.  51 

warded,  by  Messrs.  Andrews  &  Cooke,  for  America ; 

I  and  Count  Pulaski's  old  captain,  Paul  Bentalou,  of 
Baltimore,  then  in  Paris,  as  previously  stated,  next 
writes  to  Mr.  Patterson,  the  bride's  father. 
Dating  Paris,  March  16th  1804,  he  begins  :  "  I  wish 
with  all  my  heart  that  this,  which  I  will  forward  by 
duplicate,  may  reach  you  with  all  possible  speed,  with 
my  most  sincere  and  heartfelt  congratulations  to  you 
and  Mrs.  Patterson  on  the  glad  tidings,  I  am  autho- 
rized and  indeed  particularly  requested  to  impart  to 
you.  Your  son  Robert  will  tell  you  that  since  his 
arrival,  we  have  together  been  very  active,  and  to 
him  I  leave  the  task  of  relating  to  you  the  particulars 
of  what  passed  with  our  Minister,  Mr.  Livingston ; 
which    upon    the    whole    were    of   an    alarming    and 

P desponding  naturo,  and  terminated  by  telling  your 
son  that  the  displeasure  of  the  whole  family  was  mani- 
fest, and  of  a  nature,  he  feared,  not  to  be  overcome ; 
I  and  that,  after  having  freely  communicated  with 
Joseph,  the  only  favor  he  could  obtain  was,  that  your 
son  could,  privately  and  alone,  go  to  see  him,  and  that 
he  would  give  his  porter  orders  accordingly  !  I  confess 
I  felt  shocked  at  the  proposal !  and  observed  with 
some  warmth  that  I  thought  it  would  be  unbecoming 
for  your  son  to  introduce  himself  in  that  mysterious 
way,  and  perhaps  meet  with  a  humiliating  reception ; 
and  that  as  the  whole  family  were  now  apprised  of 
is  being  here,  if  any  of  them  wished  to  see  him,  it 
was  in  their  place  to  express  it.  Upon  this  the  Minis- 
ter made  some  observation  which  I  pass  in  silence, 
and  was  glad  to  find  your  son  perfectly  to  coincide 


52  THE  BONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE. 

with  my  opinion — the  more  so,  as  in  a  short  time  after 
we  had  left  the  Minister's  house,  your  son  returned  to 
me  with  a  note  from  Lucien  of  which  this  is  the  literal 
translation :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lucien  Bonaparte  are 
extremely  desirous  to  have  the  'pleasure  of  seeing  Mr. 
Patterson,  br  other -in-laiv  of  Mr.  Jerome.  They  will 
both  remain  at  home  the  whole  morning  in  hopes  he 
will  have  the  goodness  to  call  on  them. — Dated  23d 
Ventose,  14th  of  March.  We  instantly  got  ready, 
and  together  were  admitted  into  a  private  room,  where 
we  found  Mr.  Lucien,  and  told  him  as  I  knew  he  could 
not  speak  English,  neither  could  your  son  speak 
French,  I  as  an  intimate  friend  of  the  family  had 
taken  the  liberty  of  accompanying  him.  We  were 
received  with  all  possible  affability.  Through  me,  he 
addressed  your  son  in  the  most  flattering  manner,  and 
in  a  strain  which  conveyed  every  appearance  of  can- 
dor and  sincerity.  Our  conversation  lasted  a  long 
time,  the  essential  part  of  which  I  will  now  endeavor 
to  relate  in  his  own  words-: 

f  "  He  said  to  me,  Hell  Mr.  Patterson,  and  let  his 
father  know,  that  our  mother,  myself  and  the  ivhole 
family,  with  one  voice,  and  as  heartily  as  I  do,  highly 
approve  of  the  match.  The  Consul,  it  is  true,  does 
not  for  the  present  concur  with  us,  but  he  is  to  be  con- 
sidered as  isolated  from  his  family.  Placed  on  the 
lofty  ground  on  ivhich  he  stands  as  the  first  magistrate 
of  a  great  and  powerful  nation,  all  his  actions  and 
ideas  are  directed  by  a  policy  ivith  which  we  have 
nothing  to  do.  We  still  remain  plain  citizens  ;  and, 
as  such,  from  all  we  have  learned  of  the  young  lady's 


mo 

i 

pr, 


TEE  B OXA PARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE.  53 

aracter  and  the  respectability  of  her  friends,  we  are, 

tod  feel  highly  gratified  with  the  connection — that  they 

ed  not  in  the  least  be  hurt  by  the  displeasure  of  the 

onsul ;  that  myself,  although  of  an  age  to  be  my  own 

aster,  and  occupying  distinguished  places  under  the 

vernment,  I  have  also,  by  my  late  marriage,  incur- 

d  his  displeasure,  so  that  Jerome  is  not  alone.    But, 

tvhen  lue  do  marry,  toe  are  to  consult  our  own  hap- 

and  not  that  of  another,  it  matters  not  who  else 

,  or  is  not,  to  be  displeased.     Our  present  earnest 

ish  is  that  Jerome  may  remain  where  he  now  is,  and 

take  the  proper  steps  to  become,  as  soon  as  possible,  a 

citizen  of  the  United  States. 

"  Here  I  interrupted  him  by  observing  that  it  was 
ot  such  an  easy  matter  as  he  perhaps  thought — that 
it  required  an  ordeal  of  seven  years  previous  thereto ; 
and  that  then  he  would  have  formally  to"  swear  fidelity 
to  the  United  States,  and  to  a  renunciation  of  all 
titles  of  nobility,  places  of  honor  or  profit,  allegiance 
or  attachment  to  all  other  countries,  and  particularly 
to  the  one  of  his  nativity. 

"  Very  well,  retorted  Lucien,  Jerome  must  do  all 

hat ;  he  must  go  through  that  noviciate.   The  dignified 

attainment  of  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  is  well 

orth  it.     His  situation  is  much  preferable  to  ours. 

We  are  yet  on  a  tempestuous  sea,  and  he  is  safely 

moored  into  a  safe,  and  incomparably  happy  harbor. 

e  must  positively  change  his  mode  of  living,   and 

ust  not,  as  he  has  hitherto  done,  act  the  part  of  a 

ince  of  royal  blood ;  not  to  think  himself  anything 

more  than  he  really  is,  and  to  strive  as  soon  as  possible 


54  THE  BONA  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MAR  III  A  GE. 

to  assimilate  himself  to  the  plain  and  uncorrupted 
manners  of  your  incomparable  nation,  of  which  we 
ivill  all  rejoice  to  see  him  a  worthy  member.  We  are 
now  making  arrangements  to  provide  genteelly  for 
him.  We  wish  him  to  live  on  equal  footing  with  your 
most  respectable  citizens,  but  never  beyond  any  of 
\       them. 

— -  "  He  then  gave  me  to  understand  that  they  had  taken 
pains  to  inquire  what  would  he  necessary,  and  it  seems 
they  are  thinking  of  giving  him  a  country  house,  and 
a  house  in  town,  and  an  annual  income  of  fifteen 
thousand  dollars.  He  asked  my  advice  upon  that, 
and  I  told  him  I  thought  the  allowance  fully  adequate. 
He  added  that  as  they  wished  to  have  a  permanent 
capital  lodged  in  America,  they  had  already  applied 
to  purchase  of  the  newly  created  funds  for  the  Louis- 
iana acquisition,  and  found  that  they  were  ahove  par. 
I  observed  to  him  that  prohably,  in  a  short  time,  they 
would  have  a  chance  of  purchasing  under  par  from 
American  claimants,  now  in  distress  in  Paris,  some  of 
the  bills  to  be  issued  by  our  Minister ;  and  that  by 
remitting  to  you  whatever  they  may  have  a  mind  to 
send,  they  cannot  place  it  in  more  safe  hands,  nor 
more  judicious,  to  invest  advantageously ;  either  in 
public  funds,  bank,  or  insurance  stocks,  than  under 
your  direction.  In  short,  my  dear  sir,  I  think  they 
will  send  that  way  much  more  than  necessary  to  pro- 
vide for  Jerome. 

"We  were  asked  to  dine  there  on  the  next  day, 
which  was  yesterday.  He  was  not  in  when  we  were 
introduced,  but  we  were  equally  well  received  by  his 


THE  BONAP ARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  55 


ady  and  family.  Shortly  after,  he  came  in,  and  very 
soon  invited  us  into  a  private  apartment ;  when,  after 
haying  reiterated  generally  what  he  had  said  on  the 

I  previous  day,  on  which  I  had  taken  occasion  of  telling 
him  of  your  son's  proper  reluctance  to  appear  before 
his  brother  Joseph  in  the  manner  advised  by  our  Minis- 
ter, he  reminded  me  of  it;  and  said  that  he  had  con- 
versed with  his  brother  on  the  subject,  and  was 
directed  by  him  to  assure  us  that  the  Minister  had  cer- 
tainly misunderstood  him.  That  he  had  said  that, 
from  tla1  etiquette  established  by  the  higher  authority* 

tnone  of  the  family  could  allow  any  foreign  minister 
to  introduce  to  them  any  person  who  had  not  been  pre- 
vious/// introduced  to  the  First  Consul ;  but  that  his 
brother  Joseph  was  very  anxious  to  see  Mr.  Patterson  ; 
that  he  had  just  left  his  house  before  ive  came  in,  and 
'red  him  to  tell  us  that  he  had  gone  to  Malmaison 
to  remain  there  with  the  Consid  till  this  evening,  and 
that  to-morrow  at  twelve  he  ivill  expect  us.  I  shall 
attend  your  son  there,  and  leave  to  him  the  care  of 
relating  to  you  the  result,  which  I  have  no  doubt  will 
be  as  satisfactory  as  the  two  interviews  we  have 
already  had  with  Lucien. 

"  I  beg  you,  and  you  will  see  the  propriety  of  keep- 
ing to  yourself,  that  part  of  my  narrative  which  relates 
to  our  Minister,  for  I  assure  you  I  would  not,  for  any 
consideration,  have  said  anything  that  would  in  any 
way  offend  him.  He  and  his  family  are  extremely 
kind  to  myself  and  Mrs.  Bentalou,  as  they  generally 
are  to  all  their  fellow-citizens ;  and  I  can  with  truth 
assure  you,  that  in  this  affair  he  has  evinced  a  zeal  so 


5  6  THE  B  0  NAP  All  TE-PA  TTERS  ON  MAURI  A  OE. 

as  to  deserve  your  manifest  gratitude.  But  you  will 
perceive  that  as  matters  stood,  and  as  I  have  above 
related,  in  his  official  capacity,  he  could  not  act.  It 
required  a  plain  individual,  acquainted  with  both  lan- 
guages, to  conduct  your  son  to  that  source  of  informa- 
tion without  which  it  were  impossible  your  mind  could 
have  been  content. 

"  I  now  conclude  in  assuring  you  that  no  man  can 
more  sincerely  rejoice  than  I  do  at  our  happy  success, 
or  more  affectionately  at  your  service,  than  your  friend 
and  well-wisher. 

"  Reading  over  my  letter,  I  perceive  I  have  omitted 
to  mention  to  you,  that  Lucien  informed  me,  and  re- 
quested me  particularly  to  tell  you,  that  yesterday 
their  despatches  for  Jerome  were  sent  away ;  that  the 
Consul,  as  Consul,  caused  his  Minister  to  direct  the 
Charge'  d'Affaires  in  the  United  States  to  express  his 
displeasure  to  Jerome,  which  must  be  considered  by 
you  as  a  matter  of  form  ;  but  that  by  the  same  con- 
veyance, Jerome  would  receive  from  his  family  com- 
fortable letters,  and  such  as  all  of  you  can  wish  for. 
It  is  wished  that  the  picture  of  your  daughter  may  be 
sent  to  them  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  views  of  Lucien  as  given  by  Captain  Bentalou 
in  the  preceding  letter  may  have  been  obtained  by  re- 
flection from  the  chief  of  the  family,  but  their  diplo- 
macy in  this  case,  as  in  all  others,  we  think,  left  the 
observer  at  a  loss  to  determine  whether  light  breezes 
only,  or  deep  and  angry  thunders,  were  betokened. 
Quick  as  the  compound  which  rendered  his  artillery 
deadly,  uncertain   also  as  the  flash  which  blasts  the 


THE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  Eli  I  A  GE.  57 

grand  old  oak  in  summer,  and  for  ever  restless  in  search 
of  affinities,  Napoleon's  temper  would  flash  fearfully 
even  in  the  pursuit  of  small  game ;  and,  like  the  met- 
tled steed  of  antiquity,  bound  along  where  there  were 
paths,  and  where  there  were  none.  Like  the  ancient 
penman's  mountain  in  convulsions  to  release  a  little 
mouse  from  life  in  embryo,  thinkers  began  to  think, 
that  he  would  establish  from  his  course  of  conduct 
with  respect  to  Jerome's  marriage,  some  novel  and 
ridiculous  precedent  that  would  operate  to  his  discredit 
down  the  long  ages.  It  was  thought  by  some  that 
Jerome  would  not  be  allowed  to  escape  the  punitive 
force  of  the  consular  will,  if  nothing  more  was  done 
than  to  adopt  the  pathless  course  of  treating  him  as 
a  deserter  from  the  naval  service  of  France.  About 
this  time,  Napoleon  set  the  blood  of  France  on  fire, 
by  the  most  stirring  appeals  to  arms  that  the  vehicle 
of  language  could  convey,  which  it  was  thought  would 
lure  Jerome,  peacefully,  from  fidelity  to  his  wife  into 

Pthe  fields  of  glory. 
1  Soldiers  !  "  says  Order  No.  39,  issued  from  head 
quarters  of  the  centre,  "  the  sea  is  passed !  The  bound- 
aries of  nature  have  yielded  to  the  genius  and  for- 
tune of  the  hero,  the  saviour  of  France !  and 
haughty  England  already  groans  under r  the  yoke 
of  her  conquerors !  London  is  before  you !  That 
Peru  of  the  old  world  is  your  prey  !  Within  twenty 
days  I  plant  the  tri-colored  flag  on  the  walls  of 
her  execrable  tower  !  March :  the  road  to  victory 
is  open.  In  order  to  render  that  happy  victory  cer- 
tain and  inevitable,  your  commander  here  offers  you 
some  advice,  Brave  Centre,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
4 


58  THE  D ONAPAR TE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE. 

renews,  upon  enemy's  soil,  the  sacred  promises  that 
you  have  already  twice  received  from  the  august  head 
of  the  state. 

"  Once  more  I  pledge  the  faith  of  government, 
which  only  reserves  to  itself,  among  the  enormous 
treasures  that  you  are  on  the  eve  of  conquering,  the 
arms  and  fleets  of  the  enemy ;  while  it  destines  their 
monuments  of  the  arts  to  decorate  the  temples  of  the 
capital  of  the  world,  and  to  become  an  eternal  record 
of  your  victories.  Towns,  fields,  provisions,  cattle, 
gold  and  silver — I  abandon  all  to  you  !  Occupy  those 
noble  mansions,  those  smiling  farms.  The  properties, 
the  families  of  your  enemies  are  all  your  own — all  is 
destined  for  your  wealth,  or  for  your  enjoyment.  An 
impure  race,  rejected  by  heaven,  and  which  has  dared 
to  be  the  enemy  of  Bonaparte,  will  expiate  its  crimes 
by  disappearing  from  the  earth.  Yes,  I  swear  to 
you,  that  you  shall  soon  become  terrible ! 

"  Soon — and  the  hour  of  a  just  retribution  already 
strikes — the  signal  shall  be  given.  Expect  it  in  the 
posture  of  a  tiger,  and  observe  also  his  silence :  then 
spring  upon  your  prey,  give  way  to  your  feelings, 
take  your  enjoyments,  and  gather  without  risk  the 
mellow  fruits  of  victory ;  all  will  then  become  your 
duty  except  senseless  pity,  equally  unjust  to  your 
country  and  cruel  to  injured  humanity.  May  the 
enemy  of  France  perish  to  its  foundation  !  May  the 
name  of  England  be  lost  and  forgotten.  Know  that 
Heaven  and  the  First  Consul  have  conspired  for  its 
ruin  and  total  oblivion.  Then  may  that  guilty  island, 
formerly  wrested  by  the  sea  from  France,  purged  from 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  59 

the  monsters  that  inhabit  it,  return  within  its  legiti- 
mate boundaries,  having  expiated  its  numberless  crimes. 
May  it  be  regenerated  by  that  master-stroke  of  policy 
that  can  only  render  it  worthy  of  becoming  once  more 
a  portion  of  the  continent,  and  a  province  of  France. 
Perhaps  its  proud  conquerors  may  not  disdain  to 
carry  to  it  their  generous  race.  Perhaps  they  may 
derive  a  sentiment  of  joy  from  compelling  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  the  conquered  to  give  Frenchmen 
to  France.  Soldiers !  the  country  is  your  own  !  My 
brave  companions,  let  those  inhabit  it  who  will.  It  is 
Bonaparte  who  gives  me  authority  to  insure  to  every 
one  who  desires  to  reside  in  these  beautiful  plains  as 
faithful  colonists  of  France  a  house,  furniture  and 
lands ;  in  short,  a  lot,  splendid  and  secure.  They 
shall,  moreover,  be  permitted  to  carry  off  without 
molestation  every  article  of  which  they  may  be  pos- 
sessed at  the  disbanding  of  the  army,  not  excepting 
the  women  of  the  enemy  whom  they  may  honor  with 
their  partiality." 

We  think  it  will  be  seen  hereafter  that  the  above 
appeal,  and  the  like,  were  part  of  the  vast  machinery 
employed  to  fire  the  heart  of  Jerome,  and  thus  quietly 
bring  him  from  America.  To  throw  as  much  light 
on  this  strange  subject  as  possible,  we  again  make  a 
short  digression  into  the  wilds,  by  remarking  that  the 
First  Consul,  perched  upon  a  giddy  spire  of  nobility, 
had  resolved  to  force  each  of  his  brothers  to  marry 
some  European  princess  ;  and  that,  at  this  time,  the 
views  of  marriage  entertained  by  a  certain  class  of 
adventurers    into    American   society   were   often   as 


60  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

sickly  as  odors  fresh  from  the  blooming  ailanthus,  or 
the  deleterious  upas.  It  was  not  therefore  very 
strange  that  some  men  thought  Jerome  would  yield 
to  argument  by  leaving  his  wife  in  America  to  marry  a 
European  princess,  and  receive  as  a  reward  a  king- 
dom in  Britain,  after  the  tri-colored  flag  was  planted 
on  the  execrable  tower  of  London.  It  was  impossible 
to  discover  Jerome's  own  motives,  or  how  far  they 
might  go  to  unsettle  or  change  the  consular  purposes 
with  respect  to  his  marriage.  His  character,  antece- 
dents and  designs  down  to  that  time  appeared  to  be 
but  little  known  in  America,  except  what  anonymous 
writers  declared ;  but  the  word  he,  and  the  only  one 
italicised  by  the  writer,  did  not  probably  fail  in  time 
to  have  its  effect  upon  the  mind  of  the  reader.  It 
appears  evident  that  upon  hearing  of  his  marriage, 
the  Bonaparte  family  in  concert  determined  that  Je- 
rome should  remain  in  America,  and  mingle  no  longer 
in  the  society  of  France.  Lucien  had  already  de- 
clared that  the  family  was  then  on  a  "  tempestuous 
sea,"  and  that  Jerome,  under  the  circumstances, 
should  be  provided  for  and  domiciled  in  America,  was 
a  wise  and  natural  conclusion.  That  he  should  be 
disposed  of  in  this  manner  was  the  opinion  of  Mr. 
Robert  from  the  beginning,  and  he  never  changed  it. 
The  attention  of  the  reader  is  again  respectfully 
called  to  the  reading  of  his  third  letter. 

Dating  "  Paris,  March  16th  1804,"  he  writes  again 
to  his  father  in  Baltimore.  He  says,  "  I  wrote  you 
on  the  14th  instant  via  Bordeaux.  In  that  letter  I 
mentioned  my  having  received  a  very  polite  note  from 


THE  B ONAP  ARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE.  61 

Mr.  Lucien  Bonaparte,  requesting  me  to  wait  on  him  ; 
in  consequence  of  which  I  did  so,  taking  with  me 
Mr.  Bentalou.  He  observed,  Jerome's  marriage  had 
given  the  First  Consul  great  displeasure ;  but  that 
neither  himself,  his  mother,  nor  the  rest  of  the  family 
were  by  any  means  dissatisfied  with  it.  Mr.  Lucien 
is  in  a  similar  situation  with  Jerome.  He  married 
without  his  brother's  approbation,  and  his  wife  has 
not  as  yet  been  recognised  by  the  Consul.  Since  the 
rest  of  the  family  are  pleased  with  the  marriage,  I 
think  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  the  First  Consul's 
being  eventually  reconciled  to  it,  as  his  moral  cha- 
racter is  irreproachable,  and  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
suppose  that  he  would  stain  that  character  by  doing 
away  so  sacred  a  contract  as  that  of  matrimony. 
The  family  intend  Mr.  Jerome  shall  remain  in  Ame- 
rica, and  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 
They  mean  to  invest  a  sufficiency  in  our  stocks  to 
produce  him  an  income  of  about  $15,000  per  annum. 
I  believe  it  is  not  their  intention  that  the  principal 
should  be  subject  to  his  control.  You  will  most  pro- 
bably be  appointed  to  hold  in  trust  for  him  whatever 
stock  may  be  purchased.  Mr.  Bentalou  and  myself 
had  the  honor  of  dining  with  Mr.  Lucien  Bonaparte 
yesterday.  I  was  highly  flattered  with  the  attention 
shown  me.  He  observed,  at  parting,  that  he  should 
expect  to  see  me  every  three  or  four  days,  and  if  I 
disappointed  him  he  would  be  obliged  to  quarrel 
with  me. 

M  Mr.  Livingston  has  had  no  conversation  with  the 
Consul  relative  to  his  brother's  marriage.     He  wishes 


G2  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

to  reconcile  him  to  it  by  means  of  his  ministers.  They 
inform  Mr.  Livingston  that  when  they  have  intro- 
duced the  subject  he  has  remained  silent,  which  they 
taking  as  an  indication  of  his  displeasure  have  drop- 
ped it.  Mr.  Livingston  is  entitled  to  our  warmest 
thanks  for  his  zeal  to  serve  us  in  this  business." 

Dating  the  17th,  Mr.  Patterson  continues  his  letter 
on  the  same  sheet:  "I  called  at  Mr.  Joseph  Bona- 
parte's this  morning  without  having-  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  him.  I  was,  however,  very  politely  received 
by  Madame,  who  regretted  that  Mr.  Bonaparte  was 
obliged  to  be  at  that  time  from  home,  particularly  as 
he  was  very  desirous  of  seeing  me.  We  have  every 
reason  to  be  pleased  with  the  situation  of  this  affair  at 
present,  and  think  you  may  make  yourself  perfectly 
easy  as  to  the  result. 

"  I  have  been  asked  if  I  have  the  portrait  of 
Madame  Jerome,  more  than  once.  The  family  are 
desirous  of  seeing  a  miniature  of  her.  If  one  has  not 
been  taken  already,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  have  it 
done,  and  sent  either  to  some  of  the  family  or  to  me, 
that  I  may  present  them  with  it." 

Pausing  for  a  moment  or  more  to  inspect  public 
opinion,  we  find  it  drifting  in  the  direction  that  the 
marriage  of  Jerome  Bonaparte  of  France  to  Miss 
Patterson  of  America,  at  this  early  day  in  the  history 
of  the  latter  country,  was  a  mild  specific  providen- 
tially administered  to  check  irregularities  in  republi- 
can society.  Opinion  took  another  direction,  and 
hinted  that  the  wrath  of  the  First  Consul,  which  was 
rapidly  gathering,   would   dismiss   Jerome   from  the 


THE  B ONAPARTE-PA  TTEESON  MARRIAGE.  63 

service,  and  hurl  him  violently  from  French  associa- 
tions, even  before  the  beginning  of  the  first  dog-watch 
in  the  day  of  his  glory ;  but  it  will  be  seen  hereafter 
that  this  was  not  the  consular  purpose. 

From  the  17th  to  the  28th  of  March  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson  remains  silent,  waiting  for  an  opportunity 
perhaps  to  dine  with  Mr.  Joseph  Bonaparte.  The 
French  mind  was  now  inclining  to  the  opinion  that 
Napoleon  would  soon  define  his  position  with  respect 
to  the  marriage,  and  make  himself  guilty  of  a  vast 
expenditure  of  power  upon  the  subject.  In  this  state 
of  uncertainty  Mr.  Patterson  writes  again  to  his 
father.  Dating  "  Paris,  March  28th  1804 ;"  he  writes  : 
"  On  Saturday  I  had  the  honor  m  dining  with  Mr. 
Joseph  Bonaparte.  None  of  the  family  were  present 
but  his  lady.  It  is  a  little  singular  he  did  not 
throughout  the  evening  speak  a  word  of  his  brother's 
marriage,  and  only  mentioned  his  name  when  I  was 
departing,  to  request  I  would  forward  him  the  letter 
which  I  now  enclose.  As  he  possesses  the  confidence 
of  the  First  Consul,  he  probably  for  this  reason  de- 
clined saying  anything  on  that  subject,  lest  I  might 
imagine  he  gave  the  sentiments  of  his  brother.  My 
being  admitted  to  his  table  cannot  but  argue  more 
favorably  to  our  wishes  than  otherwise ;  though  it  had 
been  infinitely  more  satisfactory  and  pleasing  had  he 
been  less  reserved. 

"  Lucien  is  a  firm  and  decided  character.  On  all 
occasions  he  thinks  and  acts  independently.  On  this 
one  he  nobly  and  candidly  uttered  what  he  thought. 
The  consular  recognition  or  disavowal  of  the  marriage 


64  THE  B ONAPAR  TE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE. 

will  probably*  be  determined  by  future  occurrences. 
Much  will  depend  on  Jerome.  If  he  acts  the  part  of 
an  honorable  man  everything  must  go  right. 

"  It  is  the  duty  of  my  sister,  as  a  wife,  to  retain 
and  increase  the  affections  of  her  husband ;  and  her 
exertions  ought,  if  possible,  to  be  doubled,  from  the 
peculiarity  of  her  situation. 

"  They  are  perfectly  acquainted  with  your  history. 
Lucien  the  other  evening,  asked  me  if  our  family  were 
not  originally  from  Ireland.  I  replied  that  you  came 
when  very  young  to  the  United  States  from  that 
country  ;  but  that  my  mother  was  a  native  American." 

From  the  first  of  January  to  the  date  of  the  pre- 
ceding letter,  the  witer  says  he  had  no  accounts  from 
his  father.  Mr.  Patterson,  it  appears,  wrote  very 
little  on  the  subject  of  his  daughter's  marriage;  and 
the  avenues  of  information  to  Robert  in  Paris,  just 
about  this  time,  became  almost  suddenly  closed. 
Scaling  his  surroundings  in  finely-wrought  balances, 
he  found  uncertainty  so  heavy  that  all  other  commodi- 
ties kicked  the  beam,  and  he  departed  for  Amsterdam 
to  bide  his  time.  Mr.  Bentalou,  the  cheerful  and 
ever  hopeful  friend  of  the  Patterson  family,  is  silent, 
and  Minister  Livingston  is  the  same ;  but  certain 
French  frigates  are  ploughing  the  deep  towards  New 
York. 

Minister  Livingston  has  not  yet  answered  Mr.  Pat- 
terson's letter  to  him  under  date  of  February  10th 
1804.  It  is  the  middle  of  April,  and  the  young  couple, 
returning  from  Washington,  are  about  to  set  off  on  a 
northern  tour.     Napoleon's  silence  on  the  subject  of 


THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  M ARE  I  A  GE. 


65 


the  marriage  was  so  deep  and  unbroken,  that  certain 
parties  interested  in  the  affair,  reclined  to  repose  ;  but 
others,  alarmed  by  "  the  voice  of  silence,"  kept  wide 
awake,  conscious  that  some  slumbering  tempest  was 
about  to  break  forth  and  sing  his  war-song  on  the  face 
of  the  deep. 

Napoleon  spoke  at  last,  and  gave  out  to  one  of  his 
ministers  the  wonderful  facts  detailed  in  the  next 
chapter.  Pichon,  the  French  Consular  General  in 
New  York  is  instructed  to  withhold  Jerome  s  supplies, 
and  the  commanders  of  French  vessels  are  prohibited 
from  receiving  on  board  the  "  young  person ,"  to  whom 
e  has  attached  himself  7 


CHAPTER  III.        , 

Letter  from  M.  Dacres  to  citizen  Pichon — Strict  orders — 
Jerome's  pay  withheld — He  is  ordered  home — His  wife  to  be 
left  in  the  United  States — Not  to  put  her  foot  on  the  territory 
of  France — French  captains  not  to  receive  her  on  board  their 
vessels — Jerome  is  implored  to  return  alone  to  France — Letter 
from  M.  Dacres  to  Jerome — Napoleon's  opinions  of  the  mar- 
riage— Letters  of  Dacres  intercepted  by  a  British  commander 
— He  copies  them — The  secret  out — Mr.  Patterson  writes  to 
Jerome — Gives  the  extent  of  his  information — Hope  runs 
high — Chancellor  Livingston  recalled  from  France — General 
Armstrong  succeeds  him — Mr.  Livingston  writes  to  Mr.  Pat- 
terson— He  sends  Joseph  Bonaparte's  letter — Its  translation. 

Heading  his  letter,  u  For  yourself  only"  and 
dating  "  Paris,  April  20th  1804,"  M.  Dacres,  French 
Minister  of  Marine,  writes  to  Citizen  Pichon,  "  French 
Consular-General  at  New  York."  "I  have  taken," 
writes  he,  "  the  orders  of  the  First  Consul,  citizen, 
concerning  the  demand  you  made  on  me  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  an  allowance  to  be  granted  to  Citizen 
Jerome  Bonaparte ;  and,  bound  to  obey  the  orders 
which  he  has  given  me  in  a  way  that  showed  it  "was 
not  his  intention  that  the  slightest  modification  should 
have  place,  either  in  my  mode  of  transmitting  them  to 
you,  or  in  the  execution  of  them,  I  discharge  my  duty 
in  notifying  to  you  his  resolution  that  no  money  shall 
be  advanced  on  the  order  of  Citizen  Jerome. 

"  He  has  received  orders  in  his  capacity  of  lieute- 
nant of  the  fleet,  to  come  back  to  France  by  the  first 

(GG) 


. 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE.  67 


French  frigate  that  was  returning  thither;  and  the 
execution  of  this  order,  on  which  the  First  Consul 
insists  in  the  most  positive  manner,  can  alone  regain 

I  him  his  affection.  But  what  the  First  Consul  has 
prescribed  to  me,  above  everything,  is  to  order  you  to 
prohibit  all  captains  of  French  vessels  from  receiving 
on  board  the  young  person  to  whom  the  Citizen 
Jerome  has  connected  himself,  it  being  his  intention 
that  she  shall  by  no  means  come  into  France,  and  his 
will,  that  should  she  arrive,  she  be  not  suffered  to  land, 
but  be  sent  immediately  back  to  the  United  States. 

"  After  having  thus  notified  to  you  the  intentions 
of  the  First  Consul,  and  having  ordered  you  to  attend 
to  the  arrangements  he  has  made,  it  remains  for  me 
to  invite  you  to  employ  for  the  persuasion  of  the 
Citizen  Jerome,  every  expedient  which  your  wisdom, 
your  prudence  and  excellent  judgment  shall  suggest. 
I  have  written  him  to  this  purpose,  and  have  repre- 
sented to  him  that  the  glorious  and  brilliant  career  to 
which  his  destiny  calls  him,  requires  of  him  a  neces- 
sary sacrifice,  due  also  to  his  interest,  his  personal 
glory,  and  the  designs  of  the  Hero  to  whom  he  has 
the  honor  to  be  related.  Explain  to  him,  that  having 
been  absent  for  several  years,  he  little  knows  the 
First  Consul,  whose  inflexibility  can  be  compared  to 

I  nothing  but  the  vastness  of  his  conceptions.  Cherish- 
ing important  and  profound  meditations,  he  considers 
himself  as  having  no  family  but  the  French  people ; 
everything  unconnected  with  the  glory  and  the  happi- 

Iness  of  France  is  indifferent  to  him.  In  proportion 
as  he  delights  in  exalting  and  honoring  those  of  his 


68  THE  B  ONAPAR TE-PA  TTERSON  31ARRIA  GE. 

relations  who  participate  those  sentiments  with  him, 
does  he  feel  coldness  for  those  who  do  not  partake 
them,  or  who  walk  in  a  different  path  from  that  which 
his  genius  has  traced  out  for  himself.  Unwearied 
fabricator  of  his  own  glory,  he  bewails  in  secret  that 
he  sees  not  his  example  followed  with  the  same  per- 
severance by  those  of  his  own  blood  ;  he  is  indignant 
at  the  obstacles  thrown  in  his  way  by  what  he  calls 
their  effeminacy;  and  he  declares  against  beholding 
them  otherwise  engaged  than  in  following  the  steps 
of  his  career. 

"  Citizen  Joseph,  his  eldest  brother,  distinguished 
by  the  eminent  services  he  has  rendered  in  his  council, 
by  diplomatic  meditations  and  labors,  known  to  all 
Europe  by  the  treaties  he  has  concluded,  invested 
with  the  senatorial  robe  and  of  the  first  rank  in  the 
legion  of  honor,  has  seemed  to  him  as  not  yet  suffi- 
ciently clothed  with  glory,  and  wishing  to  crown  him 
with  that  for  which  every  one  may  find  instruments 
in  perils,  hardships,  and  genius,  he  has  just  given  him 
one  of  the  regiments  to  bear  into  England  the  national 
vengeance. 

"  General  Louis,  general  of  division,  known  until 
now  by  military  glory,  is  about  to  add  to  that  of  the 
statesman,  and  has  just  been  admitted  into  the  coun- 
cil section  of  legislation. 

"  Citizen  Lucien,  with  the  reputation  of  past  con- 
duct, and  a  fortune  perfectly  independent,  has  formed 
connexions  repugnant  to  the  views  of  the  First  Con- 
sul ;  and  the  consequence  is,  that  he  has  just  quitted 
France ;  and  that,  obliged  to  abandon  the  theatre  of 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 


the. glory  of  his  own  family,  he  has  exiled  himself  to 
Rome,  where  he  becomes  the  simple  spectator  of  the 
destinies  of  his  august  brother,  and  the  Empire. 

"  These  examples  will  inform  Jerome  what  his  bro- 
ther expects  of  him,  and  what  he  may  expect  of  his 
brother.  Young  as  yet,  and  of  an  age  when  the  laws 
authorize  not  a  marriage  to  which  relations  have  not 
consented,  he  has  indiscreetly  and  rashly  contracted 
one  (these  are  the  Consul's  words) ;  he  has  abandoned 
the  labors  which  the  country  required  of  him.  Yield- 
ing to  an  irrational  passion,  he  has  without  doubt  acted 
grievously  wrong,  but  his  youth  shall  be  suffered  to 
plead  his  excuse,  provided  he  is  wise  enough  not  to 
disobey  the  voice  which  calls  him. 

"  Ashamed  of  his  indolence,  too  long  protracted,  let 
him  seize  the  first  occasion  of  returning  to  share  the 
labors  whereof  he  should  have  given  an  example,  and 
he  will  recover  his  brother  in  the  head  of  the  state. 
It  is  the  only  means  to  consecrate  the  ties  which  unite 
them. 

,  "  As  his  friend,  as  devoted  to  his  family,  as  his  super- 
intendent in  fine,  in  the  career  which  he  has  embraced, 
I.fyive  a  right  to  expect  a  quiet  hearing  from  Jerome, 
and  I  entreat  that  he  will  execute  the  orders  he  has 
received,  and  follow  my  advice.  I  see  his  brother 
every  day,  and  if  I  give  him  no  prospect  of  bending 
that  brother,  by  a  different  conduct,  it  is  because,  in 
truth,  I  have  perceived  that  he  is  in  this  respect  in- 
flexible. I 

"  '  Jerome  is  wrong,1  said  he  to  me, i  to  fancy  that  he 
will  find  in  me  affections  that  will  yield  to  his  weak- 


70  THE  B ONAPAR  TE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

ness.     The  relation  in  which  I  stand  to  him  does  not 

admit  of  parental  condescension ;  not  possessing  the 

authority  of  a  father  over  him,  1  cannot  feel  for  him 

a  father's  affection.     A  father  is  blind,  and  takes  a 

pleasure  in  blinding  himself  because  his  son  and  he 

are  identified.     They  have  given  and  received  so  much 

reciprocally  that  they  form  but  one  person  ;  but  as  to 

me,  what  am  I  to  Jerome  ?  what  identity  can  subsist 

between  us  ?     Sole  fabricator  of  my  destiny,  I  oive 

nothing  to  my  brothers.     In  what   I  have  done  for 

glory,  they  have  found  means  to  reap  for  themselves  an 

abundant  harvest  ;  but  they  must  not  on  that  account 

abandon  the  field  when  there  is  something  to  be  reaped. 

They  must  not  leave  me  insulated,  and  deprived  of  the 

aid  and  services  which  I  have  a  right  to  expect  from 

them.     They  cease  to  be  anything  to  me,  if  they  press 

not  around  my  person,  and  if  they  follow  a  path  that 

is  opposite  to  mine.     If  I  require  so  much  from  those 

of  my  brothers  who  have  already  rendered  so  many 

services,  if  I  completely  abandon  him  who  in  maturer 

years  has  thought  proper  to  withdraw  himself  from  my 

direction,  ivhat  has  Jerome  to  expect  ?     So  young,  as 

yet,  and  only  known  by  forgetfulness  of  his  duties, 

assuredly  if  he  does  nothing  for  .me,  I  see  it  in  the 

decree  of  fate  which  has  determined  that  I  ought  to  do 

nothing  for  him.'' 

"  This  is  what  the  Hero  has  said  and  repeated  to 
me  in  divers  conversations.  The  solemnity  of  these 
confidential  communications  he  has  condescended  to 
make  to  me  on  this  subject,  has  struck  me,  and  I  re- 
pose them  in  your   bosom   that  you  may   seize  the 


THE  B  ONAPA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  UP.  I  A  GE.  71 


moment  and  the  manner  of  impressing  them  upon 
Jerome.  What  gratitude  will  he  not  owe  to  you  if 
you  succeed  in  persuading  him  !  I  know  not  what 
degree  of  resistance  you  will  experience,  but  let  him 
be  well  persuaded  that  it  is  more  from  personal  attach- 
ment than  from  that  duty,  that  I  insist  with  him  on 
such  details.  My  duty  might  be  limited  to  trans- 
mitting to  him  the  orders  and  arrangements  of  the 
First  Consul,  but  this  long  effusion  can  proceed  from 
no  other  motive  but  my  friendship  for  him.  The 
Consul  would  end  by  forgetting  him,  and  he  is  occu- 
pied by  so  many  great  objects,  that  this  oblivion,  pain- 
ful at  first,  would  settle  into  habit,  and  this  is  what  I 
fear. 

"  If  the  delirium  of  the  passion  should  render  him 
inaccessible  to  the  voice  of  reason,  you  have  only  one 
thing  to  represent  to  him,  which  is,  that  the  passions 
cease,  or  at  least  decline,  and  that  in  this  case  the 
consequence  would  be  endless.  Jerome  is  very  young, 
his  life  will  be  long,  and  I,  who  know  his  brother  much 
better  than  he  himself  knows  him,  am  certain  that 
should  he  not  comply  with  his  wishes,  he  is  storing  up 
for  himself  the  most  poignant  regret.  Moreover,  if, 
unfortunately  for  Jerome,  he  should  prolong  his  stay 
in  the  United  States  during  the  war,  if  peace  should 
be  made  before  his  return,  what  a  grief  for  him  to 
have  passed  with  a  woman  a  season  of  dangers ;  and 
what  regret  does  he  not  prepare,  even  for  the  woman 
herself,  when  humbled  by  his  obscurity,  he  shall  one 
day  impute  to  her,  were  it  even  involuntary  and  secret 
at  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  the  indolent  part  to  which 


72  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MARRTA  GE. 

he  shall  have  been  reduced  by  the  passion  wherewith 
she  inspired  him  !  And  even  if  he  loves  this  woman, 
let  him  learn,  for  her  sake,  to  quit  her.  Let  him  re- 
turn and  keep  near  his  brother — he  will  give  him 
credit  for  the  sacrifice,  and  from  the  sentiments  of 
good  will  and  friendship  which  will  thence  result,  it 
has  not  forbidden  him  to  conceive  hopes.  But  let  him 
not  bring  her  along  with  him.  Be  her  accomplish- 
ments what  they  mag,  they  would  produce  no  effect,  for 
most  assuredly  the  order  is  given  to  prevent  her  land- 
ing, and  it  would  be  fresh  trouble,  and  a  disobedience 
too  gross  of  the  orders  of  the  First  Consul  to  have 
any  other  effect  than  an  irritation  extremely  unpleas- 
ant for  what  is  and  ought  to  be  most  dear  to  the  heart 
of  Jerome. 

"  I  repeat  to  you,  citizen,  I  recommend  the  object 
of  this  letter  to  your  careful  attention,  and  to  your 
solid  judgment,  as  to  the  use  you  shall  make  of  it. 
I  have  entered  into  no  detail  on  the  nature  of  the  ille- 
gality of  the  connection  in  question,  because  I  treat 
this  affair  in  a  sentimental  manner  merely ;  but  I  have 
some  difficulty  to  conceive  how  the  father  of  the  young 
person  has  brought  himself  to  yield  to  an  union  rep- 
robated by  our  laws,  and  which  the  dignity  of  Jerome's 
family  required  should  be  very  maturely  considered 
before  it  was  consented  to.  D  acres." 

"  The  example  of  Lucien  cannot  but  divert  Jerome 
from  imitating  his  conduct.  Behold  him  separated 
from  his  brother  !  But  this  afflictive  separation,  afflic- 
tive for  all  the  friends  of  their  family,  would  have 
much  more  unpleasant  consequences  for  Jerome,  who 


'THE  BOX  A  PARTE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIAGE.  » 73 

has  yet  acquired  no  personal  weight,  no  fortune, 
and  whose  property  left  behind  at  Paris,  has  been  em- 
ployed in  part  to  pay  the  bills  he  has  drawn  on  France. 
But  this  motive  is  nothing  in  comparison  of  those 
more  prevailing  ones  of  the  duties  and  the  career  of 
glory  that  call  upon  him." — Cotemporaneous  remark. 

On  the  20th  of  April  1804,  the  pen,  whose  potency 
has  been  compared  to  that  of  the  sword,  was  busy  in 
the  department  of  the  French  Minister  of  Marine. 
On  that  day  also  he  writes  to  Jerome  Bonaparte  in 
New  York.  Dating,  "Paris,  30th  Germinal,  year 
12,"  he  proceeds — "I  have  been  just  fulfilling,  my 
dear  Jerome,  a  rigorous  duty  imposed  upon  me  by  the 
First  Consul— that  of  forbidding  the  Citizen  Pichon 
to  supply  you  with  money,  and  prescribing  to  him  to 
prohibit  all  the  captains  of  French  vessels  from  receiv- 
ing on  board  the  young  person  to  ivhom  you  have  at- 
tached yourself ;  it  being  the  intention  of  the  First 
Consul  that  she  shall  on  no  pretext  whatever,  come  into 
France;  and  should  she  happen  to  present  herself, 
that  she  shall  not  be  received,  but  be  re-embarked  for 
the  United  States  without  delay. 

"  Such,  my  dear  Jerome,  are  the  orders  which  I 
have  been  obliged  to  literally  transmit,  and  which  have 
been  given  me  and  repeated  after  the  interval  of  a 
mouth,  with  such  a  solemn  severity  as  neither  allowed 
me  to  withhold  them  altogether,  nor  to  soften  them  in 
the  slightest  degree. 

"  After  the  discharge  of  this  severe  duty,  I  cannot, 
my  dear  Jerome,  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  length- 
ening my  letter  in  a  way  which  the  attachment  I  feel 
5 


74  THE  B  ONAPA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  At  A  PR  I  A  GE.  • 

to  you  will  warrant,  and  our  military  association 
entitles  me  to.  If  I  loved  you  less,  if  the  sentiments 
with  which  you  have  inspired  me,  did  not  so  perfectly 
accord  with  those  which  I  owe  to  your  family,  if  there 
were  not  between  you  and  me  a  sort  of  companion- 
ship in  arms,  and  of  intimacy  which  I  delight  in 
keeping  up,  I  should  confine  myself  to  the  despatch- 
ing of  the  orders  which  I  have  received,  and  to  an 
accurate  official  correspondence,  the  result  of  which 
would  give  me  very  little  uneasiness.  Instead  of  this, 
I  am  going  to  chat  with  you  at  a  great  rate,  and  with- 
out knowing  beforehand  what  I  am  about  to  say.  Of 
one  thing  I  am  certain,  I  shall  tell  you  nothing  of 
which  I  am  not  well  persuaded. 

"  War  is  carrying  on,  and  you  are  quiet  and 
peaceable  at  the  distance  of  twelve  hundred  leagues 
from  the  theatre  on  which  you  ought  to  act  a  great 
part.  If  unfortunately  you  come  not  back  in  ihm 
first  French  frigate  which  returns  to  Europe,  and  I 

have  already  given  you  that  order  by  C tds,  an 

order  which  I  repeated  to  you  by  the  Consul's  com- 
mand in  the  most  formal  manner — if,  I  say,  you  shall 
not  return  to  France  until  after  the  peace,  what 
dignity  will  accompany  your  return  ?  How  will  men 
recognise  in  you  the  brother  of  the  Regulator  of 
Europe  ?  In  what  temper  of  mind  will  you  find  that 
brother,  who,  eager  after  glory,  will  see  you  destitute 
even  of  that  of  having  encountered  dangers  ? — and 
who,  convinced  that  all  France  would  shed  its  blood 
for  him,  would  only  see  in  you  a  man  without  energy, 
yielding   to  effeminate  passions,   and    having   not   a 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  75 

single  leaf  to  add  to  the  heaps  of  laurels  with  which 
he  invests  his  name,  and  our  standards. 

"  0,  Jerome  !  this  idea  alone  should  determine  you 
to  return  with  all  expedition  among  us.  The  sound 
of  arms  is  heard  in  every  quarter,  and  of  the  prepar- 
ations of  the  noblest  enterprise !  you  are  inquired 
for !  and  I,  vexed  that  I  should  be  at  a  loss  what  an- 
swer to  give  to  those  who  ask  where  you  are,  declare 
that  you  are  just  at  hand — give  me  not  the  lie,  I 
beseech  you  !  your  brother  Joseph,  father  of  a  family 
he  adores,  possessed  with  a  fortune  proportioned  to 
his  rank,  invested  with  the  highest  civil  honors  of  the 
state,  known  throughout  Europe  for  his  sagacity  and 
his  diplomatic  labors,  wishes  to  add  to  so  much  glory, 
that  of  sharing  with  the  Consul  the  dangers  of  war, 
and  has  just  got  one  of  the  regiments  about  to  embark. 
Louis,  known  by  his  military  services,  a  general  of 
division,  is  desirous  of  adding  to  that  glory,  that  of 
displaying  talents  for  civil  arrangements.  He  has 
just  entered  into  the  Council  of  State — the  Section 
of  Legislation. 

"  Lucien,  it  is  true,  has  just  quitted  France,  and 
has  exiled  himself  to  Rome  in  consequence  of  a 
marriage  repugnant  to  the  views  of  the  First  Consul ; 
but  Lucien  is  known  by  the  services  he  has  rendered 
by  his  genius,  by  his  talents,  by  the  dignity  of  a 
senator  !  He  is  possessed  of  a  great  and  independent 
fortune;  and  notwithstanding,  the  connections  dis- 
avowed by  his  brother  which  he  has  contracted,  have 
been  found  incompatible  with  his  abode  in  France. 

"  What  has  taken  place  in  your  family  points  out 


76  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

to  you  sufficiently  what  the  First  Consul  expects  of 
you,  and  his  inflexibility  concerning  what  you  shall 
do  in  opposition  to  his  views.  Sole  architect  of  the 
glory  of  which  he  has  attained  the  summit,  he  ac- 
knowledges no  family  but  the  French  people ;  and  in 
proportion  as  he  exalts  his  brothers  who  press  around 
him,  so  have  I  seen  him  show  coldness  and  even 
aversion  to  those  of  his  own  blood  who  push  not  for- 
ward in  the  career  which  his  genius  marks  out  for 
them.  Whatever  is  foreign  to  the  accomplishment 
of  his  great  designs,  seems  to  him  treason  against  his 
high  destiny;  and  believe  me,  for  I  know  your 
brother  better  than  you  know  him  yourself;  if  you 
should  persist  in  keeping  yourself  at  a  distance  from 
him  he  would  get  angry  at  first,  and  would  conclude 
by  entirely  forgetting  you ;  and  Heaven  knows  what 
regrets  your  obscurity  would  lay  up  in  store  for  you ! 
Scarce  can  a  more  brilliant  career  be  opened  to  a 
man  of  your  age.  Shut  it  not  up  yourself!  The 
union  which  you  have  formed  has  deeply  afflicted 
him!  While  I,  thought  he,  am  doing  every  tiring  for 
glory,  for  my  own,  for  that  of  my  name,  for  the  happi- 
ness of  the  people  that  have  put  their  fate  into  my 
hands,  by  ivhom  may  I  hope  to  he  seconded,  if  not  by 
my  brothers  ?  and  the  youngest  among  them  forms  an 
inconsiderate  connection  on  which  he  has  not  even 
asked  my  opinion.  He  has  disposed  of  himself  as  a 
private  individual.  It  is  titer  (fore  as  a  private  indi- 
vidual he  wishes  me  to  consider  him.  What  claim 
does  he  earn  to  my  benefactions  ?  None!  for  instead 
of  being  useful  to  me,  he  takes  the  route  diametrically 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  77 

opposite  to  that  which  I  wish  him  to  follow.  In  vain, 
availing  myself  of  the  freedom  which  the  First  Consul 
permits  in  domestic  privacy,  did  I  wish  to  make  the 
voice  of  natural  affection  be  heard.  I  became  sensi- 
ble, from  his  conversation,  that  he  neither  felt,  nor 
was  sensible  to  feel,  any  pliancy  of  that  kind. 

"  '  I  will  receive  Jerome  if,  leaving  in  America  the 
young  person  in  question,  he  shall  come  hither  to  asso- 
ciate himself  to  my  fortune.  Should  he  bring  her 
along  with  him,  she  shall  not  put  a  foot  on  the  terri- 
tory of  France.  If  he  comes  alone  I  shall  recall  the 
error  of  a  moment,  and  the  fault  of  youth.  Faithful 
services  and  the  conduct  ivhich  he  owes  to  himself,  and 
to  his  name,  will  regain  him  all  my  kindness.' 

"  Such,  my  dear  Jerome,  are  nearly  the  words  of 
the  First  Consul !  Bethink  yourself,  my  friend,  that 
he  is  only  your  brother ;  and  that,  as  I  have  already 
told  you,  a  brother  feels  not  the  yielding  condescen- 
sion of  a  father,  who  identifies  himself  in  some  mea- 
sure with  his  son.  Consider  that  you  have  as  yet 
done  nothing  for  him ;  and  that  in  order  to  obtain 
the  advantage  attached  to  the  honor  of  being  con- 
nected with  him,  you  have  not  a  moment  to  lose  for 
deserving  them — for  it  is  his  character  that  merit 
and  services  rendered,  or  to  be  rendered,  are  the 
only  things  on  which  he  sets  a  real  and  solid  value. 
In  truth,  I  am  frightened  at  the  regrets  you  are  pre- 
paring for  yourself,  and  the  young  person  with  whom 
you  have  connected  yourself,  should  you  go  to  the 
length  of  opposing  the  views  of  your  brother.  Your 
passions  will  pass  away,  and  you  will  reproach  your- 


78  THE  BONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  31 AR RIA GE. 

• 

self  with  the  injury  you  have  done  yourself.  Perhaps 
you  will  accuse,  even  involuntarily,  the  young  person 
who  will  have  been  the  occasion  of  it.  Listen  to  rea- 
son !  and  she  will  tell  you,  that,  at  any  rate,  you  have 
committed  the  fault  of  failing  in  respect  for  your 
brother,  and  for  a  brother  fed  for  a  length  of  time 
with  the  love  and  veneration  of  all  France,  and  with 
the  respect  of  Europe.  You  will  be  sensible  how 
happy  it  is  for  you,  that  you  are  atle,  by  returning 
to  France,  to  obtain  the  pardon  of  this  fault ;  that  it 
would  be  inconsistent  with  your  profound  dignity  to 
carry  thither  a  woman  who  would  be  exposed  to  the 
mortification  of  not  being  received.  I  know  not  whe- 
ther you  can  hope  to  overcome  your  brother's  unfa- 
vorable dispositions  towards  her  ;  and,  to  deal  frankly 
with  you,  I  see  no  probability  of  such  a  thing — but 
if  there  be  any  means  of  obtaining  it,  it  must  be 
your  presence.  By  your  compliance  with  his  views, 
by  proofs  of  your  devoted  attachment  to  him,  you  can 
bring  it  about.  You  are  so  young,  that  if  you  un- 
happily let  slip  the  opportunity  of  placing  yourself 
about  the  Consul,  you  will  have  many  years  for  regret 
to  steal  upon  you.  The  obscurity  to  which  you  would 
thus  condemn  yourself  would  be  long — and  long  and 
bitter  the  comparison  between  that  lot  you  had  chosen 
for  yourself,  and  that  which  once  awaited  you.  With- 
out distinction,  fame,  or  even  fortune,  how  could  you 
bear  the  weight  of  the  name  with  which  you  are 
honored  ?  To  you,  a  stranger  to  the  glory  attached 
to  it,  it  would  become  an  insupportable  burden.  I 
repeat  it  for  the  last  time,  my  dear  Jerome,  come 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTEESON  MA  RE  I  A  GE.  79 

• 

Mther — come  hither  by  the  first  French  frigate  which 
shall  sail  from  the  United  States,  and  you  will  meet 
with  such  a  reception  as  you  desire;  but  I  regret 
that  you  know  not  the  Consul  sufficiently,  because 
you  would  then  be  persuaded  that  you  cannot  regain 
his  good  will  but  by  this  expedient;  and  this  good 
will  is  essential  to  your  happiness  and  to  your  glory. 

"  I  conclude  with  the  expression  of  the  most  sincere 
attachment,  which  I  shall  never  cease  to  retain. 
Happy  if  I  have  been  able  to  influence  your  deter- 
mination in  the  way  I  could  wish,  more  happy  still, 
if  my  letter  was  unnecessary  for  that  purpose.  A 
thousand  kind  wishes.  DacreS." 

These  letters  the  imperial  Bonaparte  directed  to  be 
sent  to  M.  Pichon  and  Jerome  at  New  York,  on  the 
subject  of  the  marriage,  but  they  were  intercepted  by 
the  commander  of  the  British  frigate  Leander  off  New 
York.  After  taking  copies  the  British  commander 
transmitted  the  originals  to  their  owners,  and  we  hear 
no  more  of  them  for  nearly  a  year ;  but  we  shall  meet 
with  them  again  in  these  pages.  The  condition  of 
morals  exemplified  in  the  order  from  "  head-quarters 
of  the  centre,"  and  in  these  letters,  is  a  leaning  back- 
wards after  glory,  so  that,  under  the  circumstances, 
the  great  master-wheel  of  civilization  in  Europe, 
driving  its  little  world  of  counter-wheels,  could  not 
have  made  many  revolutions  in  its  pit.  If  Providence, 
moving  in  time,  carries  a  "  fan"  in  hand  to  purge  the 
floor  of  nations,  that  the  wheat  may  go  into  the*garner 
and  the  chaff  into  the  fire,  its  European  correlative 
surely  cannot  be  discerned  in  Napoleon.     Like  "  a 


80  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

m 
thorn  in  the  flesh"  he  appeared  to  do  little  else  than 

to  gather  corruption  around  him  until  the  time  of  his 

removal.     From  the  stand-points  exposed  to  view  by 

the    documents   in    question,   the    "wind  and   tide" 

against  which  the  noble  bark  of  Mr.  Patterson  and 

his  daughter  was  beating,  will  be  clearly  seen  and 

comprehended.     Weary  of  the  silence  in  Europe,  and 

unconscious  of  the  fulminations  of  the  consular  decree 

delivered  through  the  Minister  of  Marine,  he  takes 

his  pen  in  hand  to  write  to  Jerome,  and  revealed  to 

him  the  extent  of  his  information,  his  hopes  and  his 

fears.    .The  young  couple  had  gone  to  New  York, 

probably  with  a  view  of  embarking  immediately  for 

France  on  some  French  vessel  to  go  from  that  port ; 

but  found  there  the  alarming  intelligence  from  Dacres, 

and  the  following  enactment  of  the  French  Senate  : — 

"By  an  act  of  the  11th  Ventose,  prohibition  is  made  to  all 
the  civil  officers  of  the  Empire  to  receive  on  their  registers  the 
transcription  of  the  act  of  the  celebration  of  a  pretended 
marriage  that  Jerome  Bonaparte  had  contracted  in  a  strange 
country,  during  the  age  of  minority,  without  the  consent  of 
his  mother,  and  without  previous  publication  in  the  place  of 
his  nativity." 

Without  the  least  knowledge  of  this  alarming  state 
of  things,  the  young  lady's  father,  as  just  mentioned, 
wrote  to  Jerome.  Dating,  Baltimore,  May  13th  1804, 
he  writes — "  Dear  Sir — As  you  may  not  probably 
have  received  any  late  letters  from  your  family  in 
France,  and  of  course  must  be  anxious  to  know  their 
sentiments  respecting  your  marriage,  I  will  now  give 
you  the  best  information  I  have  been  able  to  collect. 
In  the  middle  of  the  month  of  January,  your  mother 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  81 

• 

and  the  First  Consul  were  made  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances  that  had  taken  place,  until  the  match 
was  broken  off,  and  were  highly  pleased  that  it  had 
not  taken  place.  About  this  time  the  First  Consul 
gave  orders  that  you  should  be  recalled  and  brought 
home ;  but  I  presume  before  his  orders  could  be  put 
into  effect,  by  despatching  a  vessel  from  France,  the 
news  of  your  marriage  must  have  arrived,  and  prob- 
ably put  a  stop  for  the  present  to  sending  out  the 
vessel  intended.  I  have  no  information  that  can  be 
depended  on  after  the  news  of  your  marriage  reached 
your  family,  and  I  fear  they  will  be  greatly  displeased, 
and  perhaps  be  difficult  to  reconcile  them  to  the  steps 
you  have  taken.  This  however  will  rest  with  yourself ; 
and  I  trust  you  have,  and  will  take,  every  -means  in 
your  power  to  satisfy  them  on  this  head.  My  son 
Robert  had  arrived  in  Amsterdam  from  London,  and 
was  to  set  out  for  Paris  on  the  5th  of  March,  with 
your  letter  to  the  First  Consul,  and  several  more  from 
this  country,  and  from  Mr.  Monroe,  our  Minister  in 
London.  I  shall  know  the  event  after  he  reaches 
Paris,  and  will  communicate  to  you  the  information  I 
may  receive  from  him  immediately ;  but  in  the  mean 
time,  if  you  should  receive  any  news  relative  to  the 
business,  I  request  you  will  write  me,  and  as  you  may 
naturally  suppose,  our  anxiety  will  be  great  until  we 
know  the  final  issue.  Believe  me,  with  sincere  regard, 
your  friend." 

Receiving  his  first  letters  from  Robert  in  Paris,  the 
mails  at  that  time  travelling  slowly,  he  writes  agajn 
to  Jerome  in  New  York.     Dating  May  17th  1804,  he 


82  THE  B ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA ERIA GE. 

begins — "  Dear  Sir — I  wrote  you  the  13th  inst.  under 
cover  to  my  friends,  Messrs.  William  Neilson  &  Co., 
of  New  York,  and  this  will  be  forwarded  in  the  same 
way.  I  have  now  the  satisfaction  to  inform  you,  that 
on  yesterday  I  received  letters  from  my  son  Robert 
in  Paris,  dated  the  16th  and  17th  of  March,  stating 
the  particulars  of  a  conversation  and  interview  he 
had  with  your  brother  Lucien,  which  affords  myself 
and  family  very  great  satisfaction,  and  I  hope  will  be 
equally  pleasing  to  you  and  Betsy ;  and  for  your  bet- 
ter information,  you  have  now  the  conversation  that 
passed  between  your  brother  and  my  son,  word  for 
word,  as  taken  down  and  noted  at  the  time.  By  the 
note  at  bottom,  you  will  perceive  that  your  despatches 
were  made  up  and  forwarded  on  the  15th  of  March ; 
but  that  the  First  Consul  had  instructed  his  Charge1 
a"  Affaires  in  this  country  to  express  his  displeasure 
to  you  on  the  measures  that  had  taken  place  relative 
to  your  marriage.  Your  brother  Lucien  however  ob- 
serves, that  this  is  to  be  considered  as  a  matter  of 
form  ;  and  that  your  family  have  written  to  you  by 
the  same  conveyance  in  the  most  friendly  and  affec- 
tionate terms. 

''Whatever  measures  you  may  think  proper  to  adopt 
in  consequence  of  the  recommendation  and  plans  laid 
down  for  you  by  your  family,  I  will  most  cheerfully 
promote,  and  assist,  as  far  as  is  in  my  power,  so  as  to 
forward  and  establish  your  happiness  in  whatever 
depends  on  me.  Write  me  frequently,  and  believe 
me,  with  the  utmost  sincerity,  dear  sir,  your  assured 
friend." 


THE  B  OX  A  PA  R  TE-  PAT  TEE  SOX  MA  BR  I A  GE.  83 

Under  date  Baltimore,  19th  May  1804,  Mr.  Pat- 
terson again  writes  to  Jerome,  and  drops  a  word  of 
advise.  "  Dear  sir,"  be  begins,  "I  wrote  you  tbe 
lltli  accompanying  an  exact  copy  of  the  communica- 
tion made  by  your  brother  Lucien  to  my  son  Robert 
at  Paris,  respecting  the  views  and  intentions  of  your 
family  for  your  settlement  in  this  country.  It  is  to 
me  and  my  family  a  very  pleasing  circumstance;  and 
considering  the  precarious  and  unsettled  state  of 
things  in  France  at  present,  added  to  the  risk  of  your 
being  captured  by  the  British  were  you  to  embark 
just  now  for  home,  I  think  it  a  wise  and  fortunate 
determination  of  your  family.  You  can  better  judge 
of  their  views  than  I  can  in  being  so  very  anxious 
for  your  becoming  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  I 
should  however  be  led  to  conclude  that  their  intention 
is  to  secure  an  establishment  in  this  country  in  case 
of  any  violent  change  or  revolution  in  France ;  and 
surely  it  is  equally  your  interest  and  duty  to  promote 
their  happiness  and  security  by  following  their  instruc- 
tions. 

"  The  frigate  you  mention  coming  out  with  the 
Minister  will  certainly  bring  you  letters  that  will 
explain  everything,  and  corroborate  what  your 
brother  told  my  son  in  Paris.  Under  these  circum- 
stances it  will  perhaps  be  best  for  you  not  to  go  on  to 
Boston  before  you  receive  the  letters  you  may  daily 
expect.     I  am,  dear  sir,  yours  very  sincerely." 

In  reply  to  the  above  letters  from  Mr.  Patterson 
none  from  Jerome  appear.  If  he  did  answer,  the 
reader  will  before  long  find  some  reason  to  induce  the 


84  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MA  RRTA  GE. 

belief  that  the  answers  were  burned  soon  after  read- 
ing them.     We  hope,  however,  this  was  not  the  case. 

Waiting  a  few  days  for  Minister  Livingston's  reply 
to  Mr.  Patterson's  letter  of  the  10th  of  February,  we 
remark  that  this  gentleman,  late  in  the  winter  of 
1804,  was  recalled  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  General  John  Armstrong  appointed  to 
succeed  him.  An  item  of  news  from  London,  under 
date  of  February  13th  1804,  says :  "  The  recall  of 
Mr.  Livingston,  the  American  Minister  at  Paris,  was 
occasioned  by  a  personal  infirmity  of  that  gentleman. 
He  is  unfortunately  very  deaf." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Jerome  Bonaparte  held 
a  commission  in  the  French  Navy,  having  arrived  at 
New  York  in  command  of  a  French  frigate.  From 
the  "  British  Neptune"  of  February  13th  1804,  we 
clip  the  following  item:  "Two  Swiss  officers  in  the 
French  service  are  just  arrived  from  France,  having 
made  their  escape  from  thence.  They  have  been 
examined  before  the  privy  council,  and  made  a  de- 
claration that  the  invasion  of  this  country  will  be 
attempted  in  the  course  of  the  present  week,  wind 
and  weather  permitting;"  and  in  order  to  obtain  his 
services  in  this  naval  attack  on  England,  the  Prefect 
of  the  Department  of  the  Indre  and  Loire,  issuing  the 
following  circular,  would  fain  have  reached  Jerome  in 
America.  The  document  reads  :  "  The  French  go- 
vernment attaches  the  most  extreme  importance  to 
the  immediate  appearance  of  the  proper  officer  at  the 
different  ports,  of  those  seamen  who  have  been  called 
upon  by  their  country  to  assist  in  the  grand  expedi- 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  85 


tion  now  preparing,  and  which  will  shortly  be  afloat. 
Many  have  answered  to  their  demand,  and  have  pro- 
ceeded to  their  several  places  of  destination.  But 
there  are  still  more  who  have  persisted  in  keeping 
themselves  concealed,  or  who  have  otherwise  found 
means  to  disobey  this  peremptory  order  notwithstand- 
ing their  having  been  duly  apprised  of  it  by  the 
proper  magistrates." 

The  words  still  more  are  italicised  in  the  original, 
and  the  order  goes  on  to  declare  that  all  who  do  not 
obey  it  in  a  given  time  shall  incur  the  penalties  of 
desertion. 

If,  as  the  French  Minister  of  Marine  declared  in 
his  letter  to  Jerome  of  the  20th  April,  the  order  of 
Napoleon  prohibiting  Citizen  Pichon  from  supplying 
him  with  money,  and  the  French  captains  from  re- 
ceiving on  board  the  "young  person"  to  whom  he 
had  attached  himself,  had  been  given  and  repeated 
with  solemn  severity  "  after  the  interval  of  a 
month,"  then  had  it  gone  forth  and  was  in  the  custody 
of  Dacres,  when,  on  the  Saturday  preceding  the  28th 
of  March,  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  "  had  the  honor  of 
dining  with  Mr.  Joseph  Bonaparte;"  and  it  does  not 
now  appear  so  "singular"  that  "he  did  not  through- 
out the  evening  speak  a  word  of  his  brother's  mar- 
riage." 

Under  date  of  June  20th  1804,  Chancellor  Living- 
ston, still  in  Paris,  and  not  yet  displaced  by  the  arri- 
val of  General  Armstrong,  his  successor,  answers  Mr. 
Patterson's  letter  of  the  10th  of  February.  "  Sir," 
says  he,  in  the  handwriting  of  his  Secretary  of  Le- 


86  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

gation,  "I  received  your  favor  of  the  10th  of  Feb- 
uary,  a  few  days  before  my  departure  for  England. 
As  I  had  written  fully  on  the  subject  of  your  daughter's 
marriage  both  to  the  Secretary  of  State  and  to  Gen- 
eral Smith,  who  I  knew  would  make  the  communication 
to  you,  I  postponed  writing  in  the  hope  of  being  able 
to  communicate  something  satisfactory  to  you.  You 
learned  from  those  letters  the  plan  that  had  been  pro- 
posed for  making  an  establishment  for  Mr.  Bonaparte 
in  America.  You  have  also  learned  from  my  late 
letters  that  the  new  order  of  things  here  would  prob- 
ably make  some  changes  in  the  determination  of  the 
First  Consul  on  this  subject.  To  reduce  my  suspicions 
on  this  head  to  certainty,  I  wrote  to  Prince  Joseph, 
who  was  at  Boulogne.  On  my  return  from  England, 
I  found  the  letter  of  which  the  enclosed  is  a  copy, 
which  I  think  clearly  evinces  that  the  plan  is  changed. 
But  I  have  great  hopes  it  will  not  be  disadvantageous 
to  your  son-in-law,  or  daughter. 

"If,  as  I  doubt  not,  he  perseveres  in  his  attach- 
ment for  her,  and  in  those  resolutions  which  ,his 
sentiments  of  honor  will  dictate,  I  think  I  see  some 
appearance  of  relaxation  here ;  and  I  hope  for  a  full 
reconciliation  which  will  place  him  upon  the  ground 
on  which  he  ought  to  stand  with  the  Emperor.  I  can- 
not be  more  particular  at  present,  but  you  may  be 
assured  that  the  little  I  can  give  in  this  business,  you 
may  freely  and  fully  command.  I  have  furnished,  as 
you  request,  extracts  from  General  Smith's  letters  to 
Prince  Joseph,  and  communicated  the  sentiments  con- 
tained in  the  President's  and  Mr.  Madison's  letters. 
Though  I  can  tell  you  nothing  certain,  for  you  know 


THE  BONAPARTE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA GE.  87 

a  matter  of  this  kind  cannot  be  treated  diplomatically, 
and  the  absence  of  Madame  Bonaparte,  the  mother, 
and  Lucien,  and  Prince  Joseph,  narrows  the  ayenues 
to  information,  yet  I  have  great  hopes,  that  ere  long 
this  business  will  be  accommodated  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all  the  parties.  I  am,  sir,  with  esteem,  your  most 
obedient  humble  servant." 

The  copy  of  Prince  Joseph's  letter  enclosed  by  Mr. 
Livingston  is  dated,  "  27th  Floreal  (April)  year  12," 
and  reads  as  follows  : — 

"  Monsieur:  J'ai  re<ju  les  lettres  que  vous  m'avez  fait  l'hon- 
neur  de  m'ecrire.  Je  suis  fache  de  la  peine  que  vous  vous  etes 
donnee.  Avant  de  partir  pour  l'armee  j'ai  ecrit  a  Monsieur 
Jerome  quelles  etaient  les  intentions  du  Consul,  et  j'ai  remu 
la  lettre  k  un  citizen  des  Etats  Unis,  ami  de  Mr.  Patterson  lils. 

"  Daignez,  Monsieur,  agreez  mes  remerciments  et  l'houi- 
mage  de  ma  haute  consideration." 

The  following  is  a  rough  translation  perhaps  made 
in  America  by  an  ordinary  scholar ;  but  which  we 
prefer  to  give  without  correction  : — 

"  Sir :  I  received  the  letters  which  you  did  me  the 
honor  to  write  to  me.  I  am  sorry  for  the  trouble  it 
gave  you.  Before  starting  for  the  army,  I  wrote  Mr. 
Jerome  what  have  been  the  intentions  of  the  Consul, 
and  remitted  the  letter  to  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Patterson's  son.  Please 
accept  my  thanks  and  the  tribute  of  my  high  con- 
sideration." 

On  this  letter  the  reader  already  has  the  remark 
of  Mr.  Livingston,  to  the  effect  that  the  consular 
plans  with  respect  to  the  establishment  of  Jerome  in 
America  had  been  changed. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  young  couple  in  Baltimore — Sleighs  and  snow-balls — 
Bad  boys — Gossip  in  New  York— French  frigates — Bonaparte 
and  lady  about  to  sail  for  France — His  baggage  on  board — 
Going  in  The  Dido — British  frigates  on  the  watch — The  couple 
do  not  embark — Robert  Patterson  in  Amsterdam — News  from 
Paris — Letter  from  a  strange  writer — He  hails  from  Lille — 
Pope  of  Rome — Queen  of  Etruria — The  young  couple  visit  the 
"  Hub" — A  secret  gets  out — More  gossip — General  Armstrong 
sails — Madame  Bonaparte  does  not — Her  letter  of  explana- 
tion— "  Little  Baltimore  beauty" — An  astonishing  paragraph 
in  the  French  papers — Napoleon's  opinion  of  his  brother  Jo- 
seph— Joseph's  remarkable  letter  to  Jerome. 

Leaving  transatlantic  affairs  for  a  season  to  the 
direction  and  control  of  circumstances,  we  return  to 
the  United  States  to  bring  up  the  rear.  On  the  25th 
of  January  1804,  the  young  couple,  as  appears  from 
the  following  paragraph,  were  still  in  Baltimore  : — 

"  Our  city,  especially  Market  street,  exhibited  a 
lively  scene  yesterday  and  to-day,  from  the  incessant 
passing  and  repassing  of  sleighs  and  four  III  I  sleighs 
and  two  1 1  and  sleighs  and  one  I  The  younger  part 
of  our  city  patriots  were,  as  customary  on  such  occa- 
sions, troublesome  and  dangerous  with  their  snow- 
balls. Madame  Bonaparte,  we  understand,  was  thrown 
at  and  struck  by  a  ball ;  for  the  perpetrator  of  which, 
it  is  said,  her  husband  offered  a  reward  of  five  hundred 
dollars.  The  evil  certainly  requires  a  remedy,  and 
several  lads,  we  learn,   have  been  taken  up  by  the 

constables." 

(88) 


THE  B  OX  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSOX  MA  U 8 1  A  GE.  89 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  on  the  4th  of  Feb- 
ruary Jerome  and  his  lady  were  on  their  way  to  Wash- 
ington City  to  visit  the  French  Minister.  On  the 
29th  of  May  it  was  said  in  New  York,  "  We  have 
heard  it  alleged  that  it  is  to  be  reported  that  Jerome 
Bonaparte  will  return  to  France  by  one  of  the  frigates 
now  here,  whilst  in  fact  he  is  to  sail  in  a  merchant 
vessel.  One  of  the  French  frigates  from  Guadaloupe 
came  up  yesterday  from  Staten  Island  and  anchored 
near  the  city  in  the  North  River,  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  in  provisions.  The  other  frigate  is  expected 
up  this  day.  It. is  said,  and  we  believe  with  truth, 
that  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  lady  will  go  to  France  in 
one  of  these  ships ;  for  we  were  recently  informed  by 
an  official  character  that  Jerome  had  received  a  letter 
from  his  brother,  stating  that  he  should  send  a  frigate 
for  him.  The  commander  of  one  of  these  frigates 
has  gone  to  the  southward  on  business  with  young 
Bonaparte,  probably  to  hasten  his  return,  that  they 
may  sail  immediately,  as  a  detention  in  this  port 
might  bring  some  British  ships  of  war  within  the 
lights  of  Sandy  Hook." 

On  the  14th  of  June,,  it  was  published  in  New  York 
that  "  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte,  his  lady  and  Mr.  Pat- 
terson, of  Baltimore,  her  father,  arrived  in  this  city 
on  Tuesday.  Report  says  that  the  young  couple  are 
about  to  depart  for  France,  but  the  correctness  of 
the  rumor  is  considered  questionable.  They  attended 
the  theatre  last  evening,  accompanied  by  the  captains 
of  the  Cybele  and  Didon  frigates,  and  several  gentle- 
men. That  these  vessels  may  leave  the  Hook  with- 
6 


90  THE  B ONAP  AB TE-PA  TTERSON  31  A BBIA GE. 

out  apprehension,  a  pilot-boat  was  yesterday  chartered 
to  cruise  in  the  offing,  in  order  to  discover  whether 
there  are  any  British  ships  of  war  in  the  way." 

On  the  16th,  it  was  announced  that  "  two  pilot- 
boats,  sent  out  with  each  a  French  officer  on  board, 
to  ascertain  whether  the  British  vessels  of  war  are 
oft*  the  harbor,  returned  yesterday  afternoon  with 
information  that  the  coast  is  clear.  M.  Jerome  Bo- 
naparte went  down  to  the  French  frigates  at  the 
watering-place  yesterday  morning.  It  is  understood 
that  he  is  to  take  his  departure  in  the  commodore's 
ship,  the  Didon,  of  44  guns,  reputed  the  best  appointed 
and  fastest  sailing  frigate  in  the  French  or  English 
Navy.  It  was  in  this  vessel,  according  to  report, 
Napoleon  escaped  from  Egypt. 

"  Bonaparte's  baggage  was  put  on  board  the  Didon 
yesterday  ;  and  if  so,  it  is  possible  the  French  frigates 
will  sail  this  morning. 

"  We  have  received  information  that  the  news  of 
the  arrival  of  the  French  frigates  in  this  harbor  had 
reached  Halifax,  which  caused  a  bustle  among  the 
inhabitants  of  that  place.  The  Cambrian  frigate  of 
44  guns,  which  had  her  topmasts  struck  when  the 
news  arrived,  was  completely  fitted  for  sea  in  a  few 
hours,  and  intended  to  sail  immediately  with  the 
Leander  for  New  York." 

On  the  19th  of  June  it  was  paragraphed  that  "  Je- 
rome Bonaparte  and  lady  Vere  rowed  up  yesterday 
from  on  board  the  Didon,  and  were  safely  landed  oppo- 
site their  lodgings  in  Washington  street  at  12  o'clock. 
The  Frenchmen  say  they  would  not  mind  the  Cam- 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  91 

b*ian  frigate,  and  Driver  sloop  of  war,  but  the  heavier 
ships  which  they  say  are  in  the  offing,  they  wish  to 
avoid." 

On  the  20th  it  was  said  "  the  reports,  to  which  the 
arrival  of  the  British  vessels  of  war  have  given  rise, 
are  numerous  and  contradictory.  At  one  time  it  is 
said  the  Frenchmen  are  determined  to  sail  at  all  haz- 
ards— at  another  that  they  had  no  such  intentions 
even  prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  Boston  frigate.  It  is 
now  reported  that  Jerome  has  magnanimously  resolved 
to  take  his  passage  in  the  Didon,  and  share  with  his 
countrymen  the  dangers  of  a  rencounter  with  the 
enemy,  now,  that  he  has  prudently  laid  aside  the  idea, 
until  the  concurrence  of  more  favorable  circumstances. 
Appearances  last  evening  seemed  to  justify  the  con- 
jecture that  the  French  frigates  will  not  sail  soon. 
Intimidated  probably  by  the  proximity  of  the  enemy, 
and  alarmed  still  more  perhaps  by  the  bold  and  im- 
perious conduct  of  the  Cambrian  frigate  toward  the 
ship  Pitt,  they  yesterday  came  up  from  the  watering 
place,  and  anchored  about  three  miles  below  the  city, 
where  it  is  highly  presumable  they  will  remain  as  long 
as  the  enemy  pleases.  By  an  order  from  the  Mayor 
in  consequence  of  an  application  from  the  French 
commanders,  the  pilots  on  board  the  British  vessels 
were  ordered  not  to  pilot  them  out  for  twenty-four 
hours  after  the  Frenchmen  should  sail,  provided  they 
did  so  the  first  fair  wind.  Immediately  upon  the  re- 
ceipt of  the  orders,  the  Cambrian  frigate  and  Driver 
sloop  of  war  weighed  anchor ;  and,  without  the  assist- 
ance of  pilots,  dropped  down  to  the  bay,  where  they 
now  lie  at  anchor  with  the  Boston." 


92  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

On  the  21st  report  had  it  for  the  last  twenty-four 
hours,  that  "  M.  Jerome  and  lady  had  taken  their  depar- 
ture in  a  sloop  to  overtake  the  Silenus,  which  sailed  a  few 
days  ago  for  Amsterdam — a  previous  arrangement 
having  been  made.  We  are  now  informed  that  they 
are  still  in  the  city,  and  it  is  expected  they  have  aban- 
doned their  contemplated  departure  for  the  present. 
The  number  of  the  British  frigates,  &c,  on  the  coast, 
and  the  sharp  lookout  that  will  be  kept  for  them  in 
different  parts  of  their  voyage  by  vessels  of  superior 
force,  would  render  their  safe  arrival  in  France  ex- 
tremely improbable." 

On  the  28th  of  June  the  following  "  communica- 
tion" appeared  in  the  New  York  papers :  "  It  has 
been  said  in  some  of  the  papers  that  Bonaparte  has 
taken  a  summer  residence  near  this  city.  This  may 
be  true.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  General  Ray, 
the  French  Commissary,  has  taken  the  cabin  of  the 
brig  Rolla,  which  vessel  is  about  sailing  from  this 
port  for  Bordeaux ;  and  it  is  believed  that  Bonaparte 
and  his  lady  are  going  home  in  this  vessel.  It  is  well 
enough  to  give  out  that  he  is  going  to  spend  the  sum- 
mer here  in  order  to  avoid  a  suspicion  of  his  embark- 
ing on  board  a  merchant  ship." 

On  the  9th  of  July  it  was  again  paragraphed  in 
the  New  York  papers  that  "  Jerome  Bonaparte,  it  is 
understood,  has  abandoned  all  intentions  of  imme- 
diately returning  to  France,  and  contemplates  com- 
mencing in  a  few  days  a  pretty  extensive  tour ;  in  the 
course  of  which,  after  passing  through  the  Eastern 
States,    he   will   visit   the   Springs  of  Lebanon  and 


THE  B  OXA  PAR  TE-  PA  TIERS  OX  MARR  [A  GE.  93 

Balltovrn,  and  pursue  the  customary  route  to  view  the 
grand  Falls  of  Niagara.  His  lady  will  be  of  the 
party." 

Leaving  the  young  couple  on  their  Northern  tour, 
we  will  conduct  the  reader  across  the  Atlantic  to 
Amsterdam,  where,  it  will  be  remembered,  we  last 
located  Mr.  Robert  Patterson.  This  gentleman  gives 
us  his  latest  accounts  from  Paris,  which  we  will  allow 
him  to  explain  in  his  own  words.  Dating  "  Amster- 
dam, July  21st  1804,"  he  says:  "The  following  is 

an    extract   from    a  letter   from  Mr.  M ,  dated 

Paris,  July  the  15th.  I  am  confident  that  we  may 
safely  put  every  reliance  on  what  he  says,  as,  from 
the  opportunities  he  has  had,  no  person  can  be  better 
informed  of  their  sentiments  than  himself.  It  is  the 
gentleman  who  came  out  with  John."  The  extract 
from  Mr.  M.'s  letter  is:  "I  have  not,  my  friend, 
written  you  for  a  long  time,  because  I  wished  to  give 
you  some  good  news  relative  to  the  affair,  which  has 
taken  a  good  turn.  There  are  in  America  two 
frigates  charged  to  bring  back  Mr.  Bonaparte.  If  he 
returns  in  them  with  his  wife,  it  i*  an  affair  finished. 
She  will  be  well  received.     I  have  written  to  him  by 

Captain  B y's  son  urging  him  to  return,  and  be 

assured  I  am  too  much  attached  to  him  and  his  wife 
to  recommend  their  taking  a  wrong  step." 

Having  gathered  all  the  news  accessible  in  Amster- 
dam, we  leave  Mr.  Patterson  there  engaged  in  busi- 
ness of  a  strictly  commercial  character,  and  return 
again  to  France.  At  "No.  1,  Rue  Royal,  Lille,"  we 
encounter  a  strange  correspondent,  who,  under  date 


94  THE  B ONAPARTE-PA  TTERSON  3TARRIA GE. 

of  "  August  7th  1804,  addresses  a  letter  to  "  Madame 
Jerome  Bonaparte."  He  unexpectedly  and  strangely 
" rings  in;"  but  having  a  desire  to  hear  from  all  on 
this  subject,  we  point  him  to  a  seat  within  our  circle 
of  correspondents.  "Madame,"  says  he,  "I  can 
make  no  better  apology  for  thus  abruptly  introducing 
myself  to  your  acquaintance  than  the  plea  of  kindred, 
which  I  deem  a  powerful  one,  and  which. I  shall  be 
highly  flattered  in  finding  admitted  as  such  by  you. 
At  all  events,  madam e,  my  rank,  fortune,  and  future 
prospects  in  life  are  such  as  to  raise  me  above  all 
suspicion  of  interested  motives  ;  and  if  they  were  not, 
I  am  persuaded  from  the  accounts  I  have  had  of 
you,  that  you  have  too  much  liberality  of  sentiment 
to  entertain  any  such  suspicion  in  the  most  distant 
degree. 

"  It  is  natural  for  persons  who  value  themselves  on 
the  casualty  of  birth,  and  annex  preferences  to  con- 
sanguinity, to  wish  to  perpetuate  kindred  connections  ; 
and  to  that  end  to  seek  out,  and  cultivate  acquaintance 
with,  those  whom  their  best  instincts  teach  them  to 
regard.  Such  I  an^sure  is  my  motive  in  this  address  ; 
and  it  will  give  me  particular  happiness  if  this  letter 
should  be  instrumental  in  reviving  the  friendship  which 
formerly  subsisted'  between  your  father  and  mine, 
in  the  persons  of  their  descendents.  Our  fathers, 
madame,  were  first  cousins,  and  I  have  often  heard 
my  good  father  mention  yours,  who  in  early  life  went 
with  Messrs.  Cunningham  and  Stuart  to  America,  in 
terms  of  the  warmest  friendship. 

"  The  incidents  and  turns  of  life  have,  I  admit, 


THE  BONAPAR TE-PA  TTEBSON  3fAPElA GE.  95 

made  one  very  essential  difference  in  our  relative 
stations.  You  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  draw  a 
valuable  prize  in  the  lottery  of  life,  a  prize  which 
most  of  your  sex  covet,  but  of  which  few  could  be 
found  so  deserving  as  yourself. 

"  By  marriage  you  are  not  only  closely  allied  to 
the  greatest  man  of  the  age,  but  united  with  one  of 
the  best,  and  have  so  far  attained  a  happy  state  of 
exaltation  !  Yet,  give  me  leave  to  observe  to  you,  ma- 
dame,  that,  though  your  merits  have  thus  been  happily 
rewarded,  you  are  descended  in  a  near  degree  from  a 
family  as  noble,  and  what  is  of  still  greater  moment, 
as  truly  respectable  as  any  in  the  kingdom  of  Ireland ; 
and  I  will  venture  to  assert,  that  they  have  not,  in 
any  one  instance,  deviated  from  those  principles  of 
honor ;  and  while  our  conduct  is  regulated  by  the 
same  honorable  motives,  no  change  of  situation  or 
circumstances  should  make  us  forget  the  duties  we 
owe  to  them,  and  to  ourselves. 

"  It  is  on  this  principle,  madame,  and  from  a  per- 
suasion that  our  sentiments  on  this  subject  must  coin- 
cide, that  I  venture  to  hope  you  will  not  only  per- 
mit me  thus  to  introduce  myself  to  you  by  letter,  but 
further,  if  you  should  come  to  France,  you  will  give 
Mrs.  Paterson  and  myself  the  honor  and  happiness 
of  being  personally  known  to  you. 

"I  came  with  my  wife  to  France  about  eighteen 
months  ago,  for  the  benefit  of  her  health,  which  has 
been  for  some  time  in  a  very  precarious  state.  Unfor- 
tunately and  most  unexpectedly,  the  renewal  of  hos- 
tilities between  the  two  countries  has  frustrated  my 


96  THE  B ONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE. 

plan,  and  prevented  me  from  giving  Mrs.  Paterson 
that  frequent  change  of  air  and  climate  which  her 
physicians  had  so  strongly  recommended.  Under  this 
disappointment  we  remained  stationary  at  Valen- 
ciennes— a  depot  for  the  strangers — for  twelve  months  ; 
at  the  expiration  of  which  time,  it  occurred  to  me  to 
appeal  to  the  government  so  far  as  to  solicit  a  change 
of  residence,  which  was  become  more  requisite  than 
ever  for  Mrs.  Paterson.  The  boon  I  solicited  was 
kindly  attended  to  by  his  Excellency  the  Minister  at 
War ;  and  through  the  representation  of  a  friend 
whose  goodness  I  can  never  forget,  granted  a  con- 
cession which  I  consider  as  a  mark  of  special  favor, 
and  for  which  therefore  I  feel  myself  truly  grateful. 

"  We  are  now  fixed  at  Lille,  where,  though  con- 
sidered as  an  hostage,  I  am  treated  with  all  possible 
lenity,  and  experience  as  much  indulgence  as,  under 
existing  circumstances,  I  can  reasonably  expect.  It 
will  add  much  to  the  comfort  I  at  present  enjoy  to 
find  the  advances  I  have  thus  made  requited  as  favor- 
ably as  I  could  wish  them  to  be.  Be  assured  that  no 
one  could  take  a  more  warm  and  friendly  interest  in 
your  welfare  than  myself,  and  feiv  'persons  feel  more 
partiality  for  kindred  than  I  do. 

"  Mrs.  Paterson  joins  me  in  every  good  wish  for 
your  health  and  happiness,  and  permit  me  to  subscribe 
myself,  madame,  your  sincere  friend  and  most  obe- 
dient servant,  George  Matthew  Paterson." 

This  letter  is  endorsed,  "  George  W.  Paterson  to 
Betsy  ;"  but  an  answer  to  it  has  not  been  found  in  our 
files.     Nothing  more  at  Lille.    We  visit  Paris  and  find 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  97 

nothing  bearing  on  our  subject,  except  two  items  from 
Rome  and  Etruria.  The  first  from  Rome  declares 
that  "that  the  Estates  of  the  Church,  under  the 
guardianship  of  the  French  army,  is  suffered  to  enjoy 
peace,  and  permitted  to  pay  for  it.  The  influence  of 
the  sovereign  pontiff,  which  a  few  years  since  seemed 
almost  annihilated,  has  lately  been  re-established,  and 
the  holy  father  finds  in  Bonaparte,  though  a  politic, 
apparently  a  very  dutiful  son.  Pius  VII.  is  of  a 
placid  disposition ;  and  though  his  power  as  a  tem- 
poral prince  has  been  lessened,  he  appeared  contented 
with  the  enjoyment  of  his  spiritual  dominion.  His 
nephew  has  recently  been  married  to  a  sister  of  the 
First  Consul." 

The  second  item,  as  stated,  is  from  Etruria,  and  is 
to  the  effect  that  "this  republican  kingdom  does  not 
furnish  much  political  matter  worthy  of  record.  It 
is  but  an  appendage  of  the  French  Republic ;  and  its 
infant  sovereign  is  under  the  guardianship  and  tute- 
lage of  the  French  General  Clark." 

Leaving  France  again,  and  completing  the  circle 
to  Boston,  where  we  land  on  the  20th  of  August,  we 
learn  that  Jerome  and  his  lady  had  been  on  a  visit  to 
that  city :  and  that  she  had  said  her  husband  was  in 
receipt  of  the  intercepted  letter  of  M.  Dacres,  the 
French  Minister  of  Marine. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  it  was  announced  in  New 
York  that  "  Jerome  Bonaparte,  having  returned  to 
this  city  from  the  Eastern  States,  partook  of  an  ele- 
gant entertainment  on  board  the  French  frigate  Didon 
on  Friday  last.    We  are  informed  that  the  French  offi- 


98  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

cers  addressed  him  by  the  title  of  '  His  Imperial 
Highness,'  and  that  a  late  number  of  the  Moniteur 
invites  this  style  of  address." 

On  the  5th  of  September,  the  young  couple  were 
still  in  New  York,  accommodating  themselves  to  cir- 
cumstances, and  biding  their  time  of  embarkation  for 
France ;  but  an  unfortunate  occurrence  takes  place 
which  seems  to  put  an  end  to  all  hopes  for  the  pre- 
sent. Reminding  the  reader  that  General  Armstrong 
had  been  appointed  to  succeed  Chancellor  Livingston 
as  Minister,  he  was  about  to  sail,  and  we  will  allow 
Madame  Jerome  Bonaparte  to  tell  here  her  own  story. 
Addressing  a  letter  to  her  father,  "  William  Patter- 
son, Esquire,  South  street,  Baltimore,  Maryland," 
under  date  "New  York,  5th  September  1804,"  she 
says  : — 

"  Dear  Sir — We  have  made  a  journey  here  for 
nothing,  as  General  Armstrong,  the  Ambassador, 
after  writing  to  Mr.  Bonaparte  that  he  would  be  de- 
lighted at  taking  me  to  France  with  him,  changed  his 
mind,  and  went  off  without  me.  To-morrow  we  are 
to  leave  this  place  for  Philadelphia,  and  from  thence 
we  go  to  Springfield  immediately ;  so  that,  as  I  shall 
see  you  soon,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  any  more. 

"  I  thought  the  opportunity  of  going  with  an  Am- 
bassador too  good  to  be  missed,  and  Mr.  Bonaparte 
was  to  have  gone  in  the  frigates  a  few  days  after 
me." 

The  only  signature  which  this  communication  con- 
tains is  the  letter  U.,  underscored.  It  is  endorsed  in 
the  handwriting  of  her   father  with   the  words  and 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MARBIA  GE.  99 

figures — "Betsy,  N.  Y.,  September  1804,"  and  bears 
the  red  post-mark  on  the  envelope,  "  New  York, 
Sept.  5." 

The  young  couple,  it  appears,  were  generally  the 
custodians  of  their  own  secrets,  thus  giving  rise  to  a 
multitude  of  rumors,  and  puzzling  the  quidnuncs. 
It  turns  out  that  the  parties  did  leave  New  York,  as 
stated  in  Madame's  letter  to  her  father,  just  quoted ; 
and  on  missing  them  from  their  usual  places  of  resort, 
it  was  published  in  that  city,  on  the  8th  of  the  month, 
that — 

"  It  is  rumored  that  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  his 
little  Baltimore  beauty  have  taken  French  leave,  and 
tacitly  slipped  off  in  the  vessel  which  carries  General 
Armstrong,  our  lately-appointed  Minister,  to  Nantz." 

This  paragraph  was  followed  by  another  under  date 
of  the  10th,  to  the  effect  that  "  a  report  has  been 
prevalent  for  a  few  days  that  Jerome  Bonaparte  and 
his  lady  have  embarked  for  Havre  on  board  the  ship 
Thomas.  We  are  however  assured  the  rumor  with 
respect  to  Jerome  is  certainly  incorrect.  Some  ob- 
scurity attends  that  part  of  it  which  relates  to  his 
youthful  bride.  It  is  stated  on  good  authority  that 
she  was  to  have  taken  her  departure  in  that  vessel 
under  the  protection  of  our  Ambassador;  and  that 
she  was  to  have  arrived  here  for  that  purpose  on 
Monday  evening,  the  vessel  waiting  till  Tuesday  to 
receive  her.  On  Tuesday  the  ship  sailed,  and  on  the 
same  day  the  young  couple  came  in  a  stage-coach  to 
Elizabethtown.  At  Elizabethtown  Point  they  were 
received  by  a  barge  belonging  to  one  of  the  French 


100  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

frigates.  Whether  the  lady  was  put  on  board  the 
vessel  as  she  left  the  harbor,  or  whether  the  ship  had 
sailed  a  few  hours  previous  to  her  arrival,  remains  in 
doubt.  The  latter  is  said  to  have  been  the  case,  and 
the  young  couple  returned  to  Philadelphia  by  the 
stage,  after  a  short  delay." 

Leaving  the  young  couple  en  route  for  Baltimore, 
by  way  of  Philadelphia  and  Wilmington,  we  again 
sail  for  France,  and  arrive  in  Paris  on  the  12th  of 
October.  Previously  to  our  arrival,  however,  French 
despatches  from  New  York  had  evidently  reached  the 
city,  and  we  find  that  a  very  scurrilous  article  relating 
to  Jerome  and  his  wife  has  passed  the  censors  of  the 
French  press,  and  appears  in  all  the  papers  of  Paris, 
except  the  Moniteur.  It  is  in  the  papers  by  authority 
of  the  government,  for  it  could  get  in  by  no  other 
means,  and  we  copy  a  literal  translation  of  it ": — 

"  One  of  our  journals,  in  saying  that  the  American 
gazettes  speak  often  of  the  wife  of  Mr.  Jerome  Bo- 
naparte, observes  that  it  is  possible  Mr.  Bonaparte,  a 
young  man  who  is  only  twenty  years  of  age,  may  have 
a  mistress,  but  it  is  not  possible  he  can  have  a  wife, 
since  the  laws  of  France  are  such  that  a  young  man, 
a  minor  of  twenty,  or  even  twenty-five  years,  cannot 
marry  without  the  consent  of  his  parents,  and  with- 
out having  fulfilled  in  France  the  formalities  pre- 
scribed. But  Mr.  Bonaparte  was  born  in  December 
1784,  and  it  is  already  more  than  a  year  since  the 
American  papers  have  announced  him  as  married." 

Such  are  the  tones  that  rung  out  on  the  air  of  the 
French  metropolis  after  a  silence  of  several  months, 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         101 

at  the  instance  of  him  who  had  "  hitherto  uniformly 
endeavored  to  impress  upon  the  world  the  highest  idea 
of  his  moral  character."  Coming  as  it  did  into  the 
French  papers,  made  the  above  document  official, 
carrying  with  it  the  force  of  any  other  papers  uttered 
by  the  government  of  the  country — and  for  this  rea- 
son, it  moved  back,  over  the  space  of  unreckoned 
degrees,  the  gnomon  that  marks  the  advance  of  civili- 
zation on  the  dial  of  nations. 

That  the  reader  may  be  possessed  of  material  from 
which  he  can  draw  his  own  inferences  from  matters 
and  facts  about  to  be  introduced,  we  think  it  proper 
to  furnish  him  with  what  the  First  Consul  appeared 
to  think  of  his  brother  Joseph.  Designating  him  for 
the  command  of  a  division  of  the  grand  army  about 
to  invade  England,  Napoleon  says  :  "  The  Senator 
Joseph  Bonaparte,  grand  officer  of  the  legion  of 
honor,  has  testified  to  me  the  desire  of  partaking  in 
the  dangers  of  the  army  encamped  on  the  coasts  of 
Boulogne,  that  he  may  share  in  the  glory.  I  have 
thought  it  for  the  good  of  the  state,  and  that  the 
Senate  would  perceive  at  pleasure,  that  after  having 
rendered  important  services  to  the  republic,  as  well 
by  the  solidity  of  his  councils  in  circumstances  the 
most  serious,  as  by  the  knowledge,  ability  and  wis- 
dom he  has  displayed  in  the  successive  negotiations  of 
the  treaty  of  Morfontaine,  which  terminated  our  dif- 
ferences with  the  United  States  of  America ;  in  that 
of  Luneville,  which  gave  peace  to  the  continent ;  and 
more  recently  in  that  of  Amiens,  which  had  restored 
peace  between  France  and  England,  the  Senator  Jo- 
soph  Bonaparte  should  be  placed  in  a  situation  to 


1 02          THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-  PA  T  TERSO  N  MA  RE  I  A  GE. 

contribute  to  the  vengeance  which  the  French  people 
promise  themselves  for  the  violation  of  the  latter 
treaty ;  and  that  he  should  have  the  opportunity 
given  him  of  acquiring  a  still  stronger  title  to  the 
esteem  of  the  nation. 

"  Having  already  served  under  my  eyes  in  the  first 
campaigns  of  the  war,  and  given  proofs  of  his  courage 
and  skill  in  the  art  of  war  in  the  rank  of  chief  of 
battalion,  I  have  nominated  him  colonel  commandant 
of  the  fourth  regiment  of  the  line,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  corps  of  the  army,  and  which  is  reck- 
oned among  those  who,  always  placed  in  situations  of 
the  greatest  peril,  have  never  lost  their  colors,  and 
have  very  frequently  decided  the  victory.  I  desire 
therefore  that  the  Senate  agree  to  the  request  that 
will  be  made  to  them  by  the  Senator  Joseph  Bona- 
parte for  leave  of  absence  from  the  Senate  during  the 
time  which  the  occupations  of  the  war  may  detain 
him  with  the  army." 

This  paper  exposes  the  bone  of  contention  between 
France  and  England  at  that  time,  and  the  intimacy 
of  the  two  brothers.  When  he  wrote  his  short  letter 
to  Mr.  Livingston  in  June,  Joseph  was  in  charge  of 
his  new  command  at  Boulogne,  but  in  October  we 
find  him  again  in  Paris.  On  the  19th  of  that  month, 
he  writes  the  following  remarkable  letter  to  Jerome, 
from  which  the  reader  is  left  to  draw  his  own  con- 
clusions. 

"My  dear  friend,"  writes  the  Senator  to  his  young 
brother,  "  I  have  received  your  letter  from  Albany 
that  Mr.  Esmenard  delivered  to  me.  I  have  told  him 
what  I  wrote  to  you  several  times  since  your  mar- 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  103 

riage,  and  what  I  wish  most  ardently  to  be  effected — 
I  mean,  my  dear  Jerome,  your  arrival  in  France.  I 
cannot  give  you  my  advice  respecting  the  way  of 
undertaking  that  voyage.  I  am  sensible  that  it  would 
be  an  excellent  one  if,  taking  your  passage  on  board 
a  man-of-war,  you  might  have  a  glorious  engagement 
which  could  enable  you  to  soften  the  dissatisfaction  of 
those  who  love  you,  and  are  displeased  only  at  the 
oblivion  in  which  your  distance  and  your  stay  in  a 
country  so  remote  seem  to  have  left  them. 

"  M.  Orcel,  who  will  deliver  this  to  you,  shall  relate 
to  you  all  that  I  told  him  on  that  subject.  Be  per- 
suaded, my  dear  friend,  of  the  desire  that  I  enter- 
tain of  proving  to  you  the  strong  feelings  which  I 
devoted  to  you.  I  do  not  know  your  resources  in  tho 
country  where  you  are.  Do  not  forget  that  every 
thing  I  have  is  at  your  disposition,  and  that  I  shall 
share  with  you  everything  I  could  have,  with  great 
pleasure.  It  is  since  your  affections  have  led  you  far 
from  your  family,  from  your  friends,  that  I  feel,  by 
myself,  that  you  cannot  renounce  them. 

"  Tell  Mrs.  Jerome  from  me,  that  as  soon  as  she 
will  be  arrived,  and  acknowledged  by  the  chief  of  the 
family,  she  will  not  find  a  more  affectionate  brother 
than  me.  I  have  every  reason  to  believe,  after  what 
I  have  heard  of  her,  that  her  qualities  and  character 
will  promote  your  happiness,  and  inspire  us  with 
esteem  and  friendship  that  I  will  be  very  much 
pleased  to  express  to  her.  Do  not  accustom  them  to 
you  absence  particularly  for  such  a  length  of  time." 

This  translation  was  made  in  America  soon  after 
the  arrival  of  this  letter. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Robert  Patterson — Paul  Bentalou — Lucien  Bonaparte — 
The  scandalous  paragraph — Maupertuis — Miss  Caton — Duke 
of  Wellington  —General  Armstrong  on  marriage — More  let- 
ters from  Robert  Patterson — Letters  of  Dacres  in  Halifax — 
Sensation  in  New  York — Young  couple  shipwrecked  in  the 
Delaware — Madame  Bonaparte  first  in  the  life-boat — Narrow 
escape  from  drowning — Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  out-sensa- 
tion New  York — Philadelphia  comes  out  best — More  letters 
from  Mr.  Patterson — Young  couple  encounter  44  guns — 
Madame  Bonaparte's  courage — The  gentleman  who  came  out 
with  John — A  great  wheel — Excursion  into  the  wilds — Mons. 
P.  de  Maupertuis  at  the  wheel — His  wonderful  letters — His 
leagues  of  cable — Jerome's  disgrace — Coronation  of  Napoleon 
and  Josephine — The  world  is  dazzled. 

We  have  received  no  advices  from  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson  since  the  21st  of  July,  save  three  letters 
of  a  commercial  character  alone,  and  nothing  from 
Mr.  Bentalou  in  Paris  since  his  letter  of  the  16th  of 
March,  detailing  the  substance  of  certain  conversa- 
tions with  Lucien  Bonaparte ;  nor  have  the  inter- 
cepted letters  of  M.  Dacres  been  made  public  either 
in  England  or  the  United  States.  The  scandalous 
paragraph  relating  to  the  marriage,  which  appeared 
in  the  French  papers  of  the  12th  of  October,  came  to 
the  knowledge  of  Mr.  Patterson  in  Amsterdam  on  the 
2d  of  November,  and  with  his  usual  sagacity  and 
sound  judgment  he  pens  the  following  comments  upon 
the  subject : — 

"This  absurd  and  scurrilous  article  appeared  in  all 

(104) 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.        105 


the  Paris  papers  but  the  Moniteur.  In  France 
censors  are  appointed  who  examine  every  paper  pre- 
vious to  giving  it  to  the  world,  so  that  it  is  not 
possible  to  suppose  a  paragraph  of  this  kind  would 
have  passed  them  if  it  had  not  been  authorized  by 
the  government.  The  Consul's  determination  is  now 
but  too  plain.  It  is  fortunate  Jerome  is  still  in 
America.  He  ought  to  remain  there  for  the  present 
until  his  friends  have  recognised  his  marriage.  If  his 
family  are  determined  on  proceeding  to  extremities, 
they  will  possibly,  to  oblige  him  to  return,  curtail  his 
supplies,  perhaps  withhold  them  altogether.  I  can 
scarcely,  however,  think  such  a  plan  would  be  perse- 
vered in.  / 

"  Our  dependence  is  now  entirely  on  Jerome's 
honor.  With  firmness  on  his  part,  the  affair  may  yet 
terminate  favorably.  There  is  much  to  be  appre- 
hended— when  the  Emperor  has  made  up  his  mind  on 
any  subject,  he  seldom  gives  way  Qr  recedes  from  his 
opinions." 

Dating  November  4th  on  the  same  sheet,  Mr.  Pat- 
terson continued:  "M may  have  been  sincere  in 

advising  Jerome  to  return,  but  it  is  at  least  injudi- 
cious. They  could  only  expect  the  worst  after  such 
a  declaration  as  was  made  in  the  article  in  question. 
The  source  from  which  it  came  cannot  be  doubted, 
neither  is  it  by  any  one  in  Paris.  The  only  security 
for  their  happiness  is  by  their  remaining  in  the 
United  States.  Jerome  should  be  cautious  in  credit- 
ing the  advice  from  parties  in  Paris  who  recommend 
his  returning.     You  can  judge,  or  at  least  form  as 


1 06  THE  B  ONAPA R TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRTA  GE. 

probable  a  conjecture  as  any  person  there  of  what 
would  be  the  consequence  of  such  a  step." 

Dating  November  7th,  Mr.  Patterson  postscripts 
his  letter  again,  and  proceeds  :  "  I  have  a  letter  from 
Mr.  Bentalou  of  the  3d  inst.  He  tells  me  he  thinks 
the  paragraph  of  the  12th  of  October  was  inserted 
by  way  of  retaliation  to  the  many  abusive  ones  which 
appeared  in  our  prints;  and  he  does  not,  by  any 
means,  think  the  prospect  so  gloomy  as  appearances 
would  seem  to  indicate.  I  understand  it  was  the 
intention  of  my  sister  to  have  come  out  on  the  same 
ship  with  General  Armstrong,  which  some  misunder- 
standing prevented.  Presuming  she  will  persevere  in 
her  intention,  I  shall  go  on  in  a  week  or  two  to  Paris 
to  meet  her.  Mr.  Monroe  and  his  family  are  in 
Paris.  He  will  do  everything  in  his  power,  I  am 
persuaded,  to  procure  her  a  cordial  reception.  I 
have  been  expecting  every  minute,  for  the  last  week, 
to  be  called  upon  for  my  letters  for  the  L.  P.,  which 
is  the  reason  of  your  having  so  many  dates  on  this 
sheet." 

Waiting  for  another  letter  from  Mr.  Robert  Patter- 
son, we  will  state,  for  the  information  of  the  young 
reader,  that  he  married  the  eldest  daughter  of 
Richard  Caton,  Esq.,  a  distinguished  English  gentle- 
man, who  in  early  times  settled  in  Maryland  and 
married  a  daughter  of  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton, 
one  of  the  Maryland  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence. 

Mr.  Patterson's  accomplished  and  beautiful  wife, 
when  travelling  in  Europe  with  her  husband,  formed 


n 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         107 

a  great  intimacy  with  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  Ele- 
vated by  the  projectile  force  of  a  wild  ambition,  in  a 
direction  so  contrary  to  that  of  the  universal  gravita- 
tion of  mankind,  Napoleon  fell  at  last  by  the  fortunes 
of  the  Duke  at  Waterloo,  and  landed,  to  eat  "  the 
bread  of  affliction,"  on  the  island  of  St.  Helena. 

Continuing  our  digression  a  little  longer  we  will, 
for  the  reason  mentioned,  refer  again  to  General 
Armstrong,  who  did  not  take  Madame  Bonaparte 
with  him  to  France.  .  At  a  time  perhaps  when  the 
General  did  not  even  dream  of  becoming  a  Minister 
to  France  himself,  he  penned  the  following  facetious 
lines,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  "Republic 
Court :"  "  We  have  a  French  Minister  now  with  us," 
referring  to  the  Count  de  Moustier,  "  and  if  France 
had  wished  to  destroy  the  little  remembrance  that  is 
left  of  her  and  her  exertions  in  our  behalf,  she  would 
ave  sent  just  such  a  Minister — distant,  haughty, 
penurious,  and  entirely  governed  by  the  caprices  of  a 
little  singular,  whimsical,  hysterical  old  woman,  whose 
delight  is  in  playing  with  a  negro  child  and  caressing 
a  monkey." 

Some  time  during  the  revolutionary  war  he  wrote 
the  following :  "  I  am  not  yet  married  nor  likely  to 
be  so.  The  truth  is,  I  am  too  poor  to  marry  a 
woman  without  some  fortune,  and  too  proud  to  marry 
any  woman  possessed  of  one.  In  this  dilemma,  until 
my  circumstances  change,  or  other  objects  present 
themselves,  I  must  ever  keep  along  in  the  solitary 
road  I  am  in."  Circumstances  seem  to  have  changed 
at  an  early  day,  for  in  1789,  the  first  year  of  the 


108         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

presidency  of  Washington  under  the  new  Constitution, 
General  Armstrong  married  the  sister  of  Chancellor 
Livingston,  his  predecessor  at  the  Court  of  France. 

Begging  the  young  reader  to  bear  with  us  a  little 
longer,  whilst,  for  his  information  and  convenience, 
we  refer  to  the  French  Calendar  during  the  Republic, 
we  will  state  that  the  first  month  of  the  republican 
year  commenced  on  the  22d  of  September  1792,  of 
the  Christian  era.  The  twelve  months  of  the  repub- 
lican year,  commencing  as  above,  were  respectively 
named  Vende'miaire,  Brumaire,  Frimaire,  Nivose, 
Pluviose,  Ventose,  Germinal,  Florcal,  Prairial,  Mes- 
sidor,  Thermidor,  and  Fructidor — signifying,  in  their 
regular  order,  the  months  of  Vintage  and  Wine,  Fog 
and  Winter,  White  Frost,  Snow,  Rain,  Wind,  Germs 
or  Sprouts,  Flowers,  Meadows,  Harvest  and  Gift, 
Warmth  and  Heat,  Fruit  and  Gift.  From  this  the 
reader  will  have  a  better  understanding  of  the  French 
dates  which  are  so  frequently  made  in  the  future 
pages  of  this  book. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Mr.  Robert  Patterson, 
in  his  letter  from  Amsterdam  under  date  of  Novem- 
ber 2d,  in  speaking  of  his  sister,  said,  "  I  shall  go  on 
in  a  week  or  two  to  Paris  to  meet  her." 

On  the  4th  of  December  1804,  after  a  long  lull  of 
the  winds  which  scattered  wild  rumors  along  his 
pathway,  he  writes  from  Paris  to  his  father  in  Balti- 
more. "  Dear  Sir,"  says  he,  "  I  have  been  here  about 
a  week.  I  had  flattered  myself  that  I  should  have 
been  able  to  have  discovered  what  were  their  inten- 
tions respecting  the  affair  in  which  we  take  so  much 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         109 

interest;  and  though  I  have  tried  to  obtain  that 
information  through  every  channel  that  was  accessible 
to  me,  1  have  been  disappointed. 

"I  believe  the  fact  is,  if  he  has  even  any  settled 
design,  no  person  knows  it.  Everything  that  can  be 
said  on  this  subject  is  vain  conjecture.  You  can  form 
just  as  plausible  an  opinion  of  what  will  be  the 
ultimatum  as  any  person  here.  I  am  told,  and  I  have 
it  from  such  authority  as  makes  it  unquestionable, 
that  the  other  members  of  the  family  are  very  de- 
sirous of  reconciling  the  principal.  It  is  not  unlikely 
but  they  may  eventually  succeed.  At  present  I  sus- 
pect he  shows  so  great  a  disinclination  to  hear  of  the 
subject,  that  none  of  them  ventures  to  revive  it.  Our 
best  plan  is  to  let  the  thing  remain  as  quiet  as 
possible,  and  to  avoid  particularly  every  measure 
which  can  have  the  least  tendency  to  irritate.  He 
has  already  been  much  incensed  at  a  letter  written 
him  by  Jerome.  He  says  it  has  given  him  more  dis- 
pleasure than  even  the  marriage  itself.  All  those  on 
whose  judgment  you  have  the  most  confidence,  are 
decidedly  of  opinion  Jerome  ought  to  remain  in  the 
United  States  if  not  directly  contrary  to  his  instruc- 
tions ;  but  in  the  event  of  his  coming  out,  that  he 
should  bring  his  wife  with  him,  let  the  consequence 
be  what  it  may." 

In  November  1804,  it  vaguely  appears  that  Mr. 
Patterson,  when  at  Antwerp  on  his  way  to  Paris, 
learns  for  the  first  time  of  the  publication  in  the 
"  Halifax  Morning  Chronicle"  of  the  letters  written 


110        THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

by  Dacres  to  Jerome   and  Pichon,  and  pronounces 
them  a  forgery. 

He  says,  however,  on  reaching  France,  that  "the 
letters  which  were  intercepted  and  published  in 
England,  said  to  have  been  written  by  the  Minister 
of  Marine  to  Jerome  and  to  Pichon,  are  genuine. 
He  acknowledges  he  wrote  them.  I  do  not,  however, 
think  the  measures  he  mentions  to  have  taken  to 
prevent  her  landing  in  France  will  be  enforced." 

This  paragraph  comes  in  a  business  letter  from 
Holland  of  the  25th  November,  without  date,  and 
down  to  this  time  it  does  not  appear  that  Mr.  Patter- 
son, the  young  lady's  father,  had  any  knowledge  of 
the  existence  of  the  intercepted  letters,  or  their  pub- 
lication in  Halifax.  But  further  light  on  this  obscure 
part  of  our  subject  will  shortly  appear. 

With  respect  to  these  letters,  however,  a  Halifax 
paper  of  the  8th  of  September  has  the  following: 
"  We  have  been  favored  with  the  perusal  of  two 
French  official  letters,  dated  Paris,  30th  Germinal. 
One  of  them  is  signed  '  Dacres,'  and  addressed  to 
Jerome  Bonaparte,  now  in  America.  The  writer 
informs  Jerome  that  by  order  of  the  First  Consul  his 
allowances  are  stopped,  and  intimates  Napoleon's 
highest  displeasure  at  his  having  remained  so  long  in 
America,  and  having  married  without  his  consent. 
Dacres  says  that  the  young  woman  with  whom 
Jerome  has  connected  himself  will  not  be  permitted 
to  enter  the  French  territories ;  and  should  she  even 
arrive  at  any  port  in  France,  she  will  be  instantly 
reshipped  for  the  American  States.     He  is  reminded 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         Ill 

that  the  First  Consul  is  not  operated  upon  by  the 
blind  affection  of  a  parent ;  that  he  will  only  acknow- 
ledge those  relations  who  press  around  him  and  assist 
in  executing  his  vast  plans.  The  brothers  Joseph, 
Louis,  and  Lucien  are  spoken  of  in  high  terms  of 
commendation ;  but  the  latter,  though  eminently  use- 
ful, and  possessed  of  an  independent  fortune,  yet, 
having  contracted  a  marriage  contrary  to  the  will  of 
the  First  Consul,  has  been  banished  to  Rome.  But 
you,  says  the  writer,  are  pointed  out  as  a  man  with- 
out spirit,  yielding  to  the  tender  passions,  not  having 
added  a  single  leaf  to  the  laurels  which  crown  him, 
his  name,  and  our  colors.  He  is  repeatedly  pressed 
to  return  to  France  in  the  first  frigate  that  may  offer, 
but  as  often  cautioned  against  bringing  the  young 
woman  with  him.  It  would  be  degrading,  says 
Dacres,  your  personal  dignity  to  introduce  into  this 
country,  a  woman  who  ought  to  be  in  humiliation, 
and  who  will  not  be  received  here.  The  other  letter 
is  from  Citizen  Denes  directed  to  Citizen  Pichon,  and 
is  to  the  same  effect.  The  whole  of  both  letters,  which 
are  very  lengthy,  is  such  as  to  impress  the  reader 
with  an  idea  of  the  supreme  insolence  and  contempt 
with  which  the  usurper  looks  down  on  those  engaged 
in  the  humble  walks  of  life.  They  were  intercepted 
on  board  a  vessel  bound  from  Bordeaux  to  New 
York,  and  we  have  not  the  smallest  doubt  of  their 
authenticity." 

If  Mr.  Patterson  saw  this  paragraph,  it  is  likely 
he  looked  upon  the  letters  to  which  it  referred  as 
forgeries,  depending  upon  his  son  Robert  in  Europe 


112         THE  B  ONA PA R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

for  facts  to  guide  his  judgment ;  and  we  do  not  dis- 
cover that  Jerome  made  him  acquainted  with  the 
originals  prior  to  his  return  from  his  tour  in  the 
Eastern  States. 

We  last  left  the  young  couple  on  their  way  from 
Philadelphia  to  Baltimore.  On  the  16th  of  August  it 
was  announced  that,  on  the  Friday  preceding,  Jerome 
Bonaparte,  his  lady  and  suite,  arrived  at  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  on  their  way  to  Baltimore,  where  it  is 
said  he  proposes  to  reside.  This  announcement,  with 
others  already  referred  to,  was  made  to  pave  the  way 
for  their  secret  departure  for  Europe,  in  order  to 
throw  off  their  guard  the  British  vessels  on  the  coast 
which  intended  to  capture  Jerome. 

On  the  21st  it  was  published  in  New  York  again 
that  Jerome  Bonaparte,  some  time  since,  received  a 
letter  from  his  brother  the  Emperor  of  France,  in 
which  he  says,  "  If  you  return,  come  alone — if  you 
tarry,  expect  no  promotion."  We  do  not  vouch  for 
this,  says  the  publisher,  but  we  receive  it  as  a  fact; 
and  in  consequence  M.  Bonaparte  has  resolved  to 
reside  in  the  United  States  with  his  lady. 

On  the  22d  of  August  the  city  of  New  York  made 
itself  responsible  for  another  paragraph  of  the  sensa- 
tion persuasion,  which  went  the  rounds  in  this  form: — 

"  Interesting  and  pleasing  intelligence  is  received  from  a 
gentleman  in  France  respecting  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  his 
lovely  bride.  It  is  confidently  reported  in  the  first  circles  of 
Paris,  that  the  Emperor  has  forgiven  his  brother,  and  taken 
the  young  couple  into  favor.  The  circumstance  is  said  to  have 
been  effected,  or  aided,  by  a  portrait  of  the  lady  which  had 
been  transmitted  to  the  mother  by  Bonaparte  ;  and  being  much 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         113 

celebrated  for  her  beauty,  it  was  sent  for  by  the  Empress 
Josephine." 

On  the  arrival  of  the  young  couple  in  Baltimore 
about  mid-autumn,  that  city  and  Philadelphia  fell  to 
work  and  out-sensationed  New  York.  Their  produc- 
tion was  "  founded  upon  fact,  and  was  therefore  the 
more  startling."  Baltimore,  claiming  the  first  put, 
gravely  begins  : — "  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  his  fair 
spouse  have  at  length  taken  their  departure  for  France. 
The  mode  they  adopted  to  lull  curiosity,  and  obtain 
sufficient  start  before  the  news  could  reach  any  Eng- 
lish vessel  on  the  coast,  reflects  some  ingenuity  on  the 
inventor ;  and  if  Jerome  be  the  man,  it  gives  him  a 
small  title  to  the  station  of  Imperial  High  Admiral 
of  the  French  Navy.  It  appears  that  since  his  return 
from  the  eastward,  he  has  fitted  up  in  very  handsome 
style  the  elegant  seat  of  Mrs.  Dulany,  about  two 
miles  from  the  city,  which,  it  was  given  out,  he  meant 
to  make  his  permanent  residence,  at  least  during  the 
war  between  Great  Britain  and  France.  His  absence 
from  the  streets  or  parties  in  the  city  for  two  or  three 
days  at  a  time,  of  course  no  longer  excited  suspicion. 
Matters  being  thus  arranged,  he  attended  the  theatre 
on  Thursday  night  last  with  his  lady,  and  when  the 
play  was  over  they  repaired  on  board  a  packet  at  one 
of  the  wharves,  which  had  been  engaged  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  proceeded  down  to  North  Point,  where, 
with  one  or  two  of  her  relations,  who  accompany  them 
to  France,  they  were  put  on  board  the  fast  sailing 
schooner  Cordelia,  Captain  Towers,  which  had  been 
fitted  up  and  ballasted  for  the  purpose.     On  Sunday 


114        THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

it  began  to  be  whispered  about  that  Jerome  was  off ; 
but  there  seemed  so  much  of  a  quiz  in  the  tale,  that 
no  one  out  of  the  secret  believed  it  till  it  could  be  no 
longer  doubted." 

Baltimore,  feeling  "  certain  and  sure,"  she  had  all 
things  in  a  nut-shell  this  time,  and  that  the  young 
couple  were  verily  on  a  bridal  tour  in  the  dominions 
of  old  Neptune,  continues  her  narrative  in  great  con- 
fidence : — 

"  The  name  of  Jerome  Bonaparte  has  been  so  much 
bandied  about  in  the  newspapers,  and  so  many  reports 
spread  of  his  attempts  to  quit  the  country,  that  he 
has  at  last  fairly  got  the  advantage  of  busy  rumor, 
and  left  for  her  votaries  nothing  but  a  vacant  gaze — 
unless  perhaps  they  should  yet  fit  him  on  the  horns 
of  John  Bull,  or  in  the  maw  of  a  whale,  a  situation 
he  and  his  lady  had  a  '  narrow  escape'  from,  accord- 
ing to  the  annexed  article  from  the  Philadelphia  True 
American,  received  by  this  morning's  mail : 

"  '  By  a  gentleman  from  Dover,  Delaware,  we  learn 
that  the  snow  Philadelphia,  Captain  Kennedy,  of  and 
from  this  port,  bound  to  Cadiz,  was  driven  on  shore 
in  the  gale  last  Friday,  at  Pilot-Town,  the  passengers 
and  crew  saved,  and  it  is  said  the  vessel  will  be  got 
off  without  injury.  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  lady  were 
passengers  on  board,  incog.,  and  narrowly  escaped 
drowning.  It  is  said  the  whole  of  the  passengers 
were  nearly  naked,  and  that  Madame  Bonaparte  was 
the  first  person  that  jumped  into  the  boat.' 

"  We  cannot,"  continues  Baltimore,  "help  viewing 
the   above  article  as  an  excellent  thing,  by  way  of 


THE  B  ON  A  PARTE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RR I  A  GE.         115 

underplot  to  the  farce  of  the  Flight ;  and  so  far  as 
it  could  tend  to  counteract  any  information  which 
might  have  been  sent  off  to  New  York  from  this  place, 
it  was  no  bungling  piece  of  stratagem.  The  owners 
and  insurers  of  the  Philadelphia  need,  therefore,  be 
under  no  great  apprehensions  about  the  vessel,  for  we 
strongly  suspect  that  the  tale  concerning  her  and  her 
passengers  was  fabricated  here,  although  imposed 
upon  the  editor  of  the  True  American  as  coming  from 
1  a  gentleman  from  Dover.'" 

In  a  few  days,  the  Baltimore  writer  comes  down, 
and  credits  Philadelphia  with  the  truthful  part  of  the 
story.  "  The  report,"  says  he,  "  circulated  here  for 
a  few  days  past  respecting  the  departure  of  Prince 
Jerome  Bonaparte  and  his  lady,  and  which  we  con- 
tributed to  extend,  turns  out  not  to  be  correct,  as  the 
following  article  confirms  their  shipwreck  on  board  the 
Philadelphia : 

"  '  We  are  authorized  to  say  that  the  account  lately 
given  of  Prince  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  his  lady  being 
shipwrecked  in  the  snow  Philadelphia  in  the  Bay  of 
Delaware,  on  their  passage  to  Cadiz,  is  correct.  They 
embarked  at  Port  Penn  and  were  landed,  after  being 
in  imminent  danger,  at  Pilot-Town.  They  arrived 
this  day,  the  31st  October,  in  Philadelphia,  accom- 
panied by  Miss  Spear  and  M.  Pichon.'" 

A  snow  is  a  vessel  with  two  masts  resembling  the 
main  and  foremasts  of  a  ship,  and  a  third  small  mast 
just  abaft  the  mainmast,  carrying  a  trysail.  In  this 
little  affair  of  the  shipwreck,  Philadelphia  was  sailing 
under  true  colors,  and  the  flag  of  Baltimore  fell  to 
half-mast. 


116         THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

Leaving  the  young  couple  in  Baltimore,  to  put  in 
motion  some  other  forces  to  take  them  "  out  of  the 
country,"  we  return  to  France.  Mr.  Robert  Patter- 
son is  still  in  Paris,  writing  occasionally  to  his  father 
in  Baltimore.  Under  date  of  December  25th  1804, 
he  writes  again,  and  refers  to  the  shipwreck.  "  I  wrote 
you,"  says  he,  from  this  place  on  the  4th  inst.,  "via 
Amsterdam  and  Bordeaux,  and  have  since  received 
your  letter  of  the  2d  of  November,  which  informed 
me  of  the  unfortunate  accident  which  befell  Jerome 
in  his  attempt  to  return.  The  two  frigates  which 
were  at  New  York  arrived  about  ten  days  since  at 
L' Orient.  His  brother  is  extremely  angry  at  his  not 
coming  with  them.  After  speaking  the  other  day  of 
him  in  very  harsh  terms,  he  observed  that,  as  to  his 
marriage,  he  could  view  it  in  no  other  light  than  a 
camp  one — the  laws  of  France  acknowledging  no  con- 
tract of  this  nature  valid  when  entered  into  by  a  per- 
son under  twenty-five  years  of  age.  Maupertuis  had 
an  interview  yesterday  with  the  mother.  She  says 
orders  have  been  sent  to  the  different  ports  to  arrest 
him  if  they  came  together,  and  to  send  her  back  to 
the  United  States.  She  fears  the  execution  of  these 
orders — having  no  doubt  they  will  be  rigidly  en- 
forced— will  make  so  much  noise  throughout  Europe 
that  it  will  be  impossible  to  re-tread  the  steps,  and 
perhaps  preclude  the  possibility  of  a  reconciliation. 
She  will  write  him,  recommending  his  coming  alone 
to  France,  and  his  sending  his  wife  to  Holland.  She  is 
of  opinion  if  he  adopts  this  plan,  and  continues  firmly 
attached  to  his  wife,  a  reconciliation  may  be  brought 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         117 

about.  I  wish  most  sincerely  this  may  get  to  hand 
in  time  for  him  to  avail  himself  of  it.  I  highly  ap- 
prove of  the  advice  of  his  good  and  amiable  mother, 
and  recommend  in  the  most  earnest  manner  his  adopt- 
ing it.  It  might  be  advisable  for  his  wife  and  the 
persons  accompanying  her  to  Holland  to  take  ficti- 
tious names,  to  avoid  the  buzz  her  arrival  would  occa- 
sion, and  to  prevent  her  being  the  stare  of  the  town 
whilst  the  negotiation  is  going  forward.  Maupertuis 
is  appointed  to  the  consulate  at  Rotterdam,  and  goes 
on  to  that  place  next  week. 

"  I  intend  setting  out  to-morrow  for  Bordeaux. 
My  chief  object  in  undertaking  this  jaunt  is  to  meet 
them  in  case  of  their  arriving  there.  If  they  come, 
and  she  should  be  ordered  away,  we  will  proceed  to 
St.  Sebastins.  The  proximity  of  that  place  to  France 
will  afford  me  an  opportunity  of  corresponding  with 
this  country,  and  she  will  at  least  avoid  a  second  win- 
ter's passage. 

"  I  have  been  induced,  by  the  shocking  state  of  the 
roads,  and  the  little  probability  of  their  arriving 
shortly  at  Bordeaux,  to  postpone  my  journey  to  that 
place  some  days  longer." 

Mr.  Patterson  here  closes,  and  "no  more  at  pre- 
sent" from  France.  On  the  24th  of  November  the 
young  couple  are  announced  as  in  motion,  having 
fallen  upon  another  expedient  to  "quit"  the  country. 
Leaving  New  York  and  Philadelphia  in  the  distance, 
Baltimore  becomes  responsible  for  the  consequences 
of  another  "buzz." 

"Prince  Jerome  and  his  lady,"  says  the  penman, 


1 1 8  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE. 

"  left  the  city  on  Thursday  last  for  Annapolis,  where 
they  embarked  for  France  on  board  the  frigate  Pre- 
sident of  44  guns,  which  we  understand  immediately 
weighed  anchor,  and  proceeded  down  the  bay.  The 
British  frigate  Revolutionnaire  of  44  guns,  has  arrived 
in  Hampton  Roads,  and  if  the  commander  is  disposed 
for  sport,  he  may  have  an  opportunity  of  trying  the 
prowess  of  his  tars."  Here  are  44  guns  against  44 
guns,  and  the  course  of  true  love,  under  the  circum- 
stances, does  not  run  smooth  in  the  Chesapeake ;  and 
on  the  5th  December,  the  young  couple  are  announced 
as  having  arrived  in  Washington.  The  writer  says  : 
"  Jerome  Bonaparte  and  his  lady  arrived  here  yester- 
day noon.  They  had  been  on  board  the  French 
frigate  Le  President,  intending  to  go  to  France,  but 
the  English  frigate  Revolutionnaire  had  beat  out  of 
the  capes,  and  was  waiting  for  them,  but  the  French 
were  not  then  prepared.  We  understand,  however, 
that  it  is  the  intention  of  the  French  captain  to  go 
out,  neither  inviting  nor  refusing  an  engagement. 
Whether  Jerome  will  go  or  not,  we  are  not  informed." 
It  must  have  required  a  courageous  spirit,  and 
indeed,  we  think,  a  daring  one,  to  prompt  Madame 
Bonaparte — young,  gay  and  inexperienced — to  face 
war  on  the  sea,  and  royalty  and  wrath  in  Paris, 
should  she  go  to  France.  It  is  true,  that  those  whom 
she  would  meet  were  her  superiors  only  in  the  splen- 
dors attendant  upon  imperial  power,  and  not  in 
family.  France  was  then  in  transitu  from  what  was 
styled  a  republic  to  an  absolute  monarchy ;  and  the 
revolution  was  moving  so  quietly  on  as  to  be  almost 


THE  BONAPARTE- PA TTERSON  MA RRIA GE.         119 

imperceptible.  One  of  those  great  "  strokes  of  state" 
which  occasionally  alarm  mankind  at  widely  distant 
periods,  had  been  made  by  bringing  "  soldiers  into 
the  sanctuary  of  the  law,"  and  thus  were  sown  the 
seeds  of  change  which  brought  forth  the  germ,  the 
flower  and  the  fruit  of  empire.  At  such  a  time  a 
people  become  drunk  on  wine  pressed  out  from 
haughty  grapes,  and  in  encountering  men  and  women 
thus  over-stimulated,  Madame  Bonaparte  could  look 
for  nothing  short  of  a  humiliating  reception.  And 
the  rigors  of  war,  amid  which  Napoleon  was  rapidly 
advancing  to  the  summit  of  his  power,  shut  out  diplo- 
macy on  the  subject  of  the  marriage. 

Returning  to  our  documentary  history,  it  appears 
that  the  "  gentleman  who  came  with  John,"  mentioned 
in  Mr.  Robert  Patterson's  letter  of  the  21st  of  July, 
was  no  less  a  personage  than  Mons.  P.  de  Maupertuis, 
who  had  been  visiting  in  America. 

Departing  from  our  main  subject  again  into  the  wilds, 
and  retracing  our  steps  to  about  the  beginning  of  the 
ides  of  March  1804,  we  take  up  another  link  in  our 
chain  of  documentary  history,  which  extends  itself  in 
a  direct  line  toward  the  coronation  of  Napoleon  and 
Josephine.  During  this  unexpected  excursion,  we 
discover  a  wheel  of  powerful  dimensions,  and  great 
capacities,  propelled  by  a  stream  from  the  imperial 
fountain,  toiling  upon  its  ponderous  gudgeons,  wading 
deeply  in  waste-water,  and  winding  its  numberless 
leagues  of  cable,  to  draw  Jerome  from  the  "  young 
person  to  whom  he  has  attached  himself,"  that  he 
may  be  in  France  in  time  to  figure  in  the  fascinating 


120         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

festivities  of  the  approaching  coronation.  Maupertuis 
is  at  the  wheel,  and  we  will  allow  him  to  tell  his  own 
story  in  his  own  language,  and  we  furnish  the  best 
translation  we  have  in  store. 

Dating  "Paris  le  8  Mars  1804,"  he  writes  :— 

"  Je  viens,  mon  cher  Alexandre,  de  recevoir  une  lettre  de 
vous  par  laquelle  je  me  suis  appercu  que  les  miennes  ne  vous 
etaient  pas  parvenues.  Je  ne  vous  dirai  pas  en  gascon  que  je 
vous  en  ai  6crit  plusieurs,  mais  au  moins  deux.  Soyez  bien 
convaincu,  mon  cher  ami,  que  1' absence  n'a  nullement  affaibli 
mon  attachement,  mais  vous  savez  qu'il  faut  aimer  ses  amis 
avec  leurs  deTauts,  et  c'est  toujours  sur  ce  principe  que  je  me 
sauve  avec  les  miens.  Vous  me  parlez  des  plaisirs  de  Paris, 
du  tourbillon  dont  je  suis  environne.  Vous  voyez  les  choses 
de  loin,  et  seriez  bien  Stonne"  de  la  vie  que  j'ai  menSe  tout  cet 
hiver  :  il  me  tarde,  je  vous  jure,  d'en  §tre  sorti,  et  9a  ne  tardera 
pas.  Quelle  difference  si  M.  J.  B.  y  avait  6te"  !  que  de  fois 
j'ai  regrette"  de  ne  pas  le  voir  figurer  dans  les  ce>6monies  ou 
il  aurait  eu  une  aussi  belle  place  !  Mais  comme  vous  le  dites, 
le  malheur  vous  poursuit,  et  vous  me  rendez  assez  de  justice 
pour  croire  a  quel  point  j'en  suis  afflige\ 

il  Ecrivez-moi,  je  vous  prie,  a  Rotterdam  le  plus  souvent  que 
vous  pourrez  ;  marquez-moi  la  vie  que  vous  menez.  Votre 
hiver  n'aura  pas  6te  surement  aussi  gai  que  le  dernier.  Vous 
avez  vu  par  la  place  que  je  viens  d' avoir,  que  l'homme  propose 
et  Dieu  dispose  5  tous  mes  projets  ont  ete  bouleverses  en  un 
intant,  mais  je  suis  trop  heureux,  et  il  ne  me  reste  plus  qu'a 
meritcr  1'auguste  bienveillance  que  l'E.  m'a  temoignee.  Vous 
aurez  eu  un  instant  de  consolation  au  passage  d'Auguste  aux 
Etats-Unis.  II  y  a  un  siecle  que  je  n'ai  re<ju  des  nouvelles  des 
miens.  Comme  vous  avez  beaucoup  d'occasions  pour  Rotter- 
dam, donnez-m'en,  je  vous  prie,  de  notre  pays.  Voila  la  belle 
saison  qui  arrive ;  profitez  des  batiments  qui  ne  tarderont  pas 
a  faire  voile  ;  faites-moi  aussi  le  plaisir  de  dire  au  cher  Docteur 
mille  choses  affectueuses  de  ma  part. 


i 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE  121 

Rappellez-moi  au  souvenir  de  toutes  les  personnes  qui  m'ont 
temoigne  quelque  bienveillance ;  mes  respects  a  Mile.  Spear  a 
Mde.  McDognall  5  enfin  distribuez  a  qui  de  droit  ce  leger  tribut 
de  ma  gratitude.  Adieu,  mon  cher  Alexandre,  pensez  quelque- 
fois  a  quelqu'un  qui  vous  est  bien  attach6  et  que  vous  devez 
croire  sincerement  votre  ami.  P.  De  Maupertuis." 

TRANSLATION. 

"  My  dear  Alexander — I  have  just  received  one  of 
your  letters  by  which  I  see  that  you  have  not  received 
mine.  I  will  not  tell  you  like  a  gascon,  that  I  have 
written  many,  but  at  least  two.  Be  well  persuaded, 
my  dear  friend,  that  absence  has  not  weakened  my 
affections.  I  am  a  little  lazy,  but  you  know  we  must 
love  our  friends  with  their  faults  ;  and  it  is  always  on 
this  principle,  that  I  escape  with  mine.  You  speak 
to  me  of  the  pleasures  of  Paris — of  the  society  by 
which  I  am  surrounded.  You  see  the  thing  from  afar, 
and  would  be  astonished  at  the  life  I  have  led 
all  this  winter.  I  long,  I  swear  it  to  you,  to  be  out 
of  it,  and  this  will  take  place  before  long  !  How  dif- 
ferent if  Mr.  Jerome  Bonaparte  had  been  here.  How 
many  times  I  have  regretted  not  to  see  him  figure  in  the 
ceremonies,  where  he  would  have  had  so  fine  a  place  ! 
But  as  you  say,  misfortune  pursues  him,  and  you  will 
render  me  justice  enough  to  say  how  much  I  am 
afflicted  by  it.  I  pray  you  write  to  me  at  Rotterdam 
as  often  as  you  can.  Let  me  know  what  kind  of  life 
you  lead.  Surely  your  winter  has  not  been  so  pleasant 
as  the  last  one. 

"  You  will  see  by  the  office  that  I  have  just  been 
appointed  to,  that  man  proposes  and  God  disposes. 
8 


122         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

All  niy  projects  have  been  overthrown  in  one  instant; 
but  I  am  happy  that  I  have  now  only  to  deserve  the 
benevolence  that  the  Emperor  has  shown  me.  You 
will  have  some  consolation  from  the  passage  of  Au- 
gust to  the  United  States.  It  is  an  age  since  I  have 
received  any  news  from  my  friends.  As  you  have  a 
great  many  opportunities  to  send  to  Rotterdam,  let 
me  have  some  news  from  our  country. 

"  The  fine  season  is  coming.  Take  advantage  of 
the  ships  that  will  soon  sail.  Do  me  also  the  pleas- 
ure to  say  a  thousand  affectionate  things  on  my  part 
to  the  dear  doctor.  Remember  me  to  the  persons 
who  have  manifested  an  interest  in  me.  My  respects 
to  Mrs.  McDonald  and  to  Miss  Spear.  In  fine,  dis- 
tribute to  those  who  have  any  right  to  this  tribute, 
my  gratefulness.  Farewell,  my  dear  Alexander, 
think  sometimes  of  one  who  is  sincerely  connected  to 
you  by  the  ties  of  affection,  and  sincerely  believe  me 
to  be  your  friend,  P.  de  Maupertuis. 

This  letter  was,  no  doubt,  addressed  to  Alexander 
Le  Camus,  whose  name  will  shortly  appear  on  a 
future  page  of  this  book,  in  a  very  interesting  con- 
nection. After  M.  Le  Camus  had  kept  this  letter  for 
sometime,  it  appears  that  he  gave  it  to  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson  in  Amsterdam  to  be  forwarded  by  him  to 
America  for  his  father's  inspection. 

In  the  same  enclosure,  comes  another  letter  from 
the  same  writer.  As  before,  we  give  the  French  and 
English  both  as  they  come  to  our  hand.  Dating 
Paris,  8th  of  March,  as  in  the  preceding  letter,  he 
snv« : — 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  123 

u  Vous  voyez,  mon  cher  Chanibry,  par  la  date  de  ma  lettre, 
que  je  suis  encore  dans  cette  belle  ville.  II  y  a  cependant  deja 
trois  mois  que  je  suis  nomm6  a  la  place  de  Consul  a  Rotterdam, 
mais  pour  aller  remplir  mon  emploi,  il  me  faut  des  instruc- 
tions, et  je  ne  les  ai  pas  encore  revues.  Je  laisse  mollement 
s'6couler  le  temps  en  attendant  que  je  sois  a  la  besogne.  Vous 
dire  que  j'ai  rempli  mon  but  en  obtenant  cette  place,  ce  serais 
vous  tromper,  mais  l'Empereur  a  eu  la  bonte  de  me  l'offrir. 
C'est  un  des  premiers  consulats,  et  des  plus  delicats  a  remplir 
dans  cette  circonstance  5  et  je  me  suis  trouve  trop  hcureux  de 
servir  le  heros  pour  lequel  vous  connaissez  mon  enthousiasme. 
J'espere  que  la  maniere  dont  je  m'acquitterai  de  cet  emploi 
me  fera  faire  rapidement  mon  chemin.  Vous  me  demanderez 
peut  §tre  quelles  sont  mes  pretentions !  l'ambition.  Eh  bien ! 
oui — jamais  je  ne  me  suis  trouv6  dans  une  aussi  belle  passe; 
l'age  s'avance,  et  il  n'y  a  rien  de  pis  que  de  vegetter  dans  une 
passive  vieillesse.  Vous  connaissez  mon  attachement  immuable 
pour  M.  J.  B.  ;  il  ne  manque  ici  que  sa  personne  pour  com- 
pleter mon  bonheur. 

"J'ai  requ  de  lui  ces  jours  passes,  une  lettre  par  laquelle  il 
m'engage  a  aller  le  rejoindre.  Que  ne  donnerais-je  pas  pour 
en  avoir  la  faculte !  mais  c'est  chose  impossible  d'obtenir. 
J'ose  espSrer  qu'il  me  rendra  justice.  Dites-lui,  je  vous  prie, 
que  rien  dans  le  monde  ne  saurait  alterer  mon  attachement. 
SMI  ne  fall  ait  que  sacrifier  pour  le  servir  toutes  mes  espe'rances, 
.  je  croirerais  encore  peu  faire  pour  tous  les  t6moignages  d'amiti6 
qu'il  n'a,  cesse  de  me  donner  dans  un  siecle  ou  on  ne  manque 
que  trop  ses  sentiments  sur  le  d6gr6  de  faveur  ou  sont  por- 
ters les  personnes,  ou  ou  ose  a  peine  laisser  entrevoir  ceux 
qu'on  6prouve  pour  des  gtres  interessants  accables  sous  le  poids 
du  malheur.  Jamais  pareil  calcul  n'a  pen6tre  chez  moi.  Je 
suis  attache  a  M.  J.  B.  Je  l'ai  dit  a  l'E.,  qui  malgr6  tout  son 
courroux  n'a  pu  me  blamer.  Je  ne  me  suis  pas  trouve  une  fois 
avec  Tlmperatrice  que  je  vois  souvent,  sans  lui  en  parler.  Ma- 
dame sa  mere,  le  Prince  Louis  me  rendront  justice  a  cet  egard  ; 
helas !  que  pcuvent  les  voeux  steriles  que  je  forme  con- 
tiniKjllement? 


124         THE  B ONAPARTE-PA TTEBSON  3IARRIA GE. 

"  Je  n'ose  lui  ecrire ;  quels  conseils  pourrai-je  lui  donner  ?  II 
faut  qu'il  ait  ete  poursuivi  bien  obstinement  par  une  fatale 
destinee  pour  l'empgcher  d'arriver  ici  vers  l'epoque  du  sacre. 
Sa  resignation,  les  circonstances  ou  nous  nous  trouvions,  eussent 
peutetre  caline  la  rigueur  de  l'E.  J'ai  lu  ces  jours  derniers 
dans  la  gazette  un  paragraphe  concernant  son  mariage  qui  ne 
laisse  aucun  doutes  sur  les  intentions  (au  moins  actuelles)  de 
l'E.  5  mais  peutetre  la  presence  de  M.  J.  B.  ferait  elle  changer 
ses  dispositions.  A  sa  place  je  reviendrais  seul  en  France  ;  sa 
presence  ferais  plus  que  tout  ce  que  pourront  les  sollicitations 
de  qui  que  ce  soit.  Je  lui  ai  envoy e  il  y  a  quelques  jours  une 
lettre  de  Madame  sa  Mere  qui  a  ce  quelle  m'a  dit  lui  donne 
les  seuls  conseils  qu'il  ait  a  suivre.  J'avoue  que  je  crois  l'E. 
tres  irrit6,  mais  que  n'a-t-on  pas  droit  d'attendre  d'un  homme 
dont  toutes  les  actions  sont  marquees  au  coin  de  la  grandeur? 
M.  J.  B.  expi6ra  peut  §tre  par  une  disgrace  momentan6e  la 
cause  de  ses  chagrins,  mais  qui  peut  craindre  un  frere  dont  la 
conduite  par  la  suite  ne  manquera  pas  de  r6tablir  dans  tous 
ses  droits  ? 

u  L'E.  ainsi  que  l'Imp6ratrice  se  disposent  a  faire  un  voyage 
en  Italie,  qui,  dit-on,  doit  durer  4  ou  5  mois  ;  on  assigne  a  ce 
voyage  differents  motifs,  mais  personne  ne  les  connaient  au 
juste.  Quant  a  moi,  je  partirai  vraisemblablement  d'ici  a,  15 
jours  pour  Rotterdam,  ainsi  si  vous  m'6crivez  et  que  je  puisse 
vous  §tre  bon  a  quelque  chose,  adressez  moi  directement  vos 
lettres  dans  cette  ville. 

"  Parlez,  je  vous  prie,  souvent  de  moi  a  M.  J.  B.  Dites-lui 
combien  je  regrette  de  ne  pouvoir  me  rendre  a  ses  desirs, 
Offrez-lui  les  assurances  de  mon  respectueux  d6vouement,  ainsi 
qu'a  l'interessante  dame  qui  partage  avec  lui  les  rigueurs  du 
sort.  Mille  compliments  a  M.  Patterson  •,  je  vois  son  fils,  qui 
est  un  charmant  jeune  homme,  et  avec  qui  vous  auriez  grand 
plaisir  a  faire  connaissance. 

"  Adieu,  mon  cher  Chambry.  Revenez-ici  le  plutot  que  vous 
pourrez.  Conservez-moi  votre  amitie,  et  croycz  a  r attach e- 
ment  sans  bornes  de  votre  dSvoue 

P.  De  Maupertuis." 


I 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         125 
TRANSLATION. 

"  You  see,  my  dear  Chambry,  by  the  date  of  my 
letter  that  I  am  still  in  this  fine  city.  Three  months 
aso  I  was  nominated  Consul  at  Rotterdam ;  but  I  am 
waiting  for  instructions,  and  I  have  not  yet  received 
them.  I  leave  time  to  glide  softly  away  in  waiting 
till  I  shall  be  busy.  In  telling  you  that  I  have  ob- 
tained my  aims  in  obtaining  this  place,  I  would  deceive 
you ;  but  the  Emperor  has  had  the  kindness  to  offer 
it  to  me.  It  is  one  of  the  first  consulships,  and  the 
most  difficult  to  discharge  the  duties  of,  in  the  circum- 
stances, and  I  am  but  too  happy  to  serve  the  hero  for 
whom  you  know  my  enthusiasm.  I  hope  that  the 
manner  in  which  I  will  discharge  my  duties  will 
quickly  raise  me  to  a  high  position.  Perhaps  you 
will  ask  me  what  are  my  pretensions — ambition  ? 
Well,  yes !  I  have  never  found  myself  in  so  fine  a 
situation.  Time  goes  fast.  There  is  nothing  worse 
than  to  vegetate  in  a  passive  old  age. 

"  You  know  my  immutable  affection  for  Mr.  Jerome 
Bonaparte.  I  want  nothing  but  his  presence  to  com- 
plete my  happiness.  I  have  lately  received  a  letter 
from  him  in  which  he  presses  me  to  rejoin  him.  What 
would  I  not  give  to  have  the  power  to  do  so  ? 
But  it  is  impossible.  I  should  want  a  leave  of  ab- 
sence which  it  would  be  impossible  to  obtain.  I  dare 
hope  he  will  do  me  justice.  Tell  him  that  nothing 
in  the  world  could  alter  my  affection.  If  it  was  only 
necessary  to  sacrifice  all  my  hopes  to  serve  him,  I 
should  still  think  I  was  doing  little  for  all  the  evi- 
dences  of  friendship    which   he    has   never    ceased 


126         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

giving  me  in  an  age  when  we  measure  but  too  much 
our  feelings  by  the  degrees  of  favor  which  is  shown 
to  persons ;  when  we  hardly  dare  to  let  any  one 
see  the  feeling  we  have  for  an  interesting  being 
crushed  down  under  the  weight  of  misfortune.  Never 
has  such  a  calculation  entered  into  my  mind.  I  am 
attached  to  M.  Bonaparte.  I  have  said  it  to  the 
Emperor,  who,  in  spite  of  his  wrath,  has  not  been  able 
to  blame  me.  I  have  not  been  once  with  the  Empress, 
whom  I  often  see,  without  speaking  to  her  of  it. 
Madame  his  mother,  and  the  Prince  Louis  will  render 
me  justice  concerning  this.  But,  alas  !  of  what  avail 
are  all  the  empty  wishes  I  continually  entertain  ? 

"  I  dare  not  write  to  him !  What  advice  can  I 
give  him  ?  He  must  have  been  very  obstinately 
pursued  by  a  fatal  destiny,  to  hinder  him  from 
arriving  here  about  the  time  of  the  coronation.  His 
resignation,  and  the  circumstances  in  which  we  found 
ourselves,  might  perhaps  have  calmed  the  anger  of 
the  Emperor. 

"I  have  read  lately  in  the  paper  a  paragraph 
which  leaves  no  doubt  of  the  intentions  of  the  Em- 
peror, at  least  for  the  time  being  ;  but  the  presence  of 
M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  would  perhaps  change  his  dis- 
positions. In  his  place,  I  would  come  back  alone  to 
France.  His  presence  would  do  more  than  all  the 
solicitations  of  any  one.  A  few  days  ago,  I  sent 
him  a  letter  from  Madame  his  mother,  who,  according 
to  what  she  has  told  me,  gave  him  the  only  counsel 
he  must  follow.  I  confess  that  I  believe  the  Emperor 
is  very  much  irritated ;  but  what  have  we  not  to  ex- 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE.         1 27 

pect  from  a  man  all  whose  actions  are  marked  by 
the  stamp  of  greatness  ?  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  will 
perhaps  atone,  by  a  momentary  disgrace,  the  cause 
of  all  his  vexation.  But  who  can  fear  a  brother  whoso 
conduct  will  not  fail  in  due  time  to  re-establish  all  his 
rights  ?    . 

"  The  Emperor  and  Empress  are  preparing  for  a 
journey  to  Italy,  which  it  is  said  may  last  four  or 
five  months.  People  attribute  different  motives  to 
this  journey;  but  nobody  knows  them  positively. 
As  for  me,  it  is  very  likely  I  shall  start  from  this 
place  to  Rotterdam  in  about  fifteen  days.  Thus,  if 
you  write  to  me,  and  I  can  be  useful  to  you  in  any 
way,  address  me  your  letters  directly  in  that  city. 

"  Speak,  I  pray  you,  often  from  me  to  M.  Jerome 
Bonaparte.  Tell  him  how  much  I  regret  not  to  be 
able  to  meet  his  wishes.  Offer  him  the  assurances  of 
my  respectful  devotion ;  also  to  the  interesting  lady 
who  shares  with  him  the  rigors  of  fate.  A  thousand 
compliments  to  Mr.  Patterson.  I  see  his  son,  who  is 
a  charming  young  man,  and  with  whom  it  would  give 
you  great  pleasure  to  become  acquainted. 

"Farewell,  my  dear  Chambry.  Come  back  here 
as  soon  as  you  can.  Preserve  me  your  friendship, 
and  believe  in  the  affections  without  limit  of  your 
devoted  P.  De  Maupertuis." 

The  letters  of  Maupertuis  are  without  any  address, 
but  it  appears  that  they  were  intended  for  some  gen- 
tlemen at  that  time  in  America.  In  the  preceding 
letter,  he  says  of  Jerome,  "  I  dare  not  write  to  him." 


128         THE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MAR  RIA  GE. 

This  perhaps  will  give  the  reason  why  his  letters,  with 
information  for  Jerome,  are  addressed  to  others. 

The  next  letter  written  by  this  gentleman,  like  the 
others,  lacks  the  address,  but  we  give  it  in  full  as  we 
find  it. 

"  Paris,  28  Septembre  1804. 

(i  Je  suis  sur,  mon  cher  Alexandre,  que  vous  etes  fachScontre 
moi,  parceque  depuis  longtemps  vous  n'avez  pas  rec,u  directe- 
ment  de  mes  nouvelles.  Ne  m'en  voulez  pas  pour  cela ;  beau- 
coup  d'affaires,  un  peu  de  paresse,  et  la  grande  confiance  que 
j'ai  en  votre  amitie,  voila  mes  seules  excuses;  vous  saurez 
deja  que  je  suis  plac6  a  Rotterdam,  ou  je  dois  me  rendre  ces 
jours-ci.  Je  ne  dois  cette  place  qu'aux  bontes  de  l'Empereur,  et 
vous  sentez  avec  quel  zele  je  la  remplirai. 

"Dites  bien  des  choses,  je  vous  prie,  pour  moi  au  cher  doc- 
teur,  a  Barney,  a  McKim  et  autres  personnes  qui  veulent  bien 
se  ressouvenir  du  Baron,  mes  honimages  respectueux  a  Madame 
McDonnal,  et  Mile.  Spear.  Je  ne  vous  parle  pas  politique,  je 
ne  vous  dis  meme  grand'  chose,  parceque  le  sort  des  lettres  dans 
ci  temps-ci  est  tres  incertain. 

"  Auguste  vous  aura  dit  combien  nous  avons  parle  de  vous. 
II  sera  surement  rendu  a  present  a  la  Martinique.  Adieu, 
mon  cher  Alexandre,  pensez  quelque  fois  &  moi,  et  donnez-moi 
de  vos  nouvelles  malgre  ma  paresse.  Croyez  a  mon  attache- 
ment.  P.  De  Maupertuis." 

TRANSLATION. 

"I  am  sorry,  my  dear  Alexander,  that  you  are 
angry  against  me,  because  you  have  been  so  long 
without  receiving  any  direct  news  from  me.  Do  not 
be  angry  against  me  for  that.  A  great  deal  of  busi- 
ness, a  little  laziness,  and  the  great  confidence  that  I 
have  in  your  friendship,  are  my  only  apology.  You 
already  know  that  I  have  a  position  at  Rotterdam, 


THE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE.         129 

whither  I  must  go  in  a  few  days.  I  owe  this  place 
only  to  the  kindness  of  the  Emperor,  and  you  know 
with  what  zeal  I  shall  perform  its  duties.  I  pray  you 
to  say  many  things  for  me  to  the  doctor,  to  Barney, 
to  McKim,  and  other  persons  who  are  willing  to  re- 
member the  Baron.  Present  my  respects  to  Mrs. 
McDonnel  and  Miss  Spear.  I  do  not  tell  you  anything 
about  politics.  I  don't  even  say  many  things,  because 
now-a-days  the  fate  of  letters  is  very  uncertain. 
August  will  tell  you  how  many  times  we  have  spoken 
of  you.  Surely  he  will  have  gone  to  Martinique  for 
the  present. 

"  Farewell,  my  dear  Alexander.  Think  sometimes 
of  me,  and  let  me  have  some  news  from  you,  in  spite 
of  my  laziness.     Believe  in  my  affection. 

P.  DE  MAUPERTUIS." 

This  writer,  it  appears,  addresses  his  next  letter  to 
a  friend  in  Amsterdam,  and  we  give  it  in  full. 

"  Paris,  4  Brumaire,  1804. 

"  J'ai  recu  avant  hier,  mou  cher  ami,  a  retour  de  la  campagne, 
la  lettre  que  vous  m'avez  fait  l'amiti6  de  m'6crire.  Je-  suis 
bien  convaincu  que  vous  vous  ennuyez  mortellement  a  llotter- 
dain,  mais  vous  jouissez  d'une  bonne  sante,  et  c'est  la  l'essentiel. 
Depuis  bien  longtemps  je  n'ai  recu  des  nouvelles  de  M.  J.  B. 
ni  directement  ni  indirectement.  Je  suis  bien  faclie"  qu'il  n'ait 
pu  se  rendre  en  France  avant  le  sacre. 

"C'etait  le  moment,  et  malgre  le  courroux  de  l'E.  j'oso 
espSrer  que  tout  se  serait  arranged  Le  sacre  est  remis  decide- 
ment  au  15  Frimaire.  Le  pape  ne  sera  rendu  que  le  2  Paris.  Si 
vous  y  venez,  vous  pourrez  voir  a  votre  aise  la  cer6monie  ou 
du  moins  le  cortege,  sans  avoir  besoin  d'un  billet,  parcequ'il 
passera  tout  le  long  des  Boulevards  pour  se  rendre  a  Notre 
Dame.     Co  sera  surement  le  plus  beau  spectacle  qui  se  soit 


130         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.    / 

jamais  vu.  II  me  tarde  bien  que  ce  soit  fait ;  il  ne  nous  manque 
qu'une  paix  generale  pour  etrc  heureux.  On  ne  croirait  jamais 
qu*il  ait  eu  une  revolution  en  France,  et  on  a  beau  dire  il  n'y 
avait  dans  le  monde  qu'un  heros  comme  le  notre  capable 
d'operer  un  tel  changement. 

"  Je  ne  concois  pas  comment  de  certaines  gazettes  peuvent  se 
plaire  dans  toutes  leurs  injures.  Ce  sont  de  ces  libelles  qui  font 
peu  d*honncur  a  leur  redacteurs,  car  enfin  quetions-nous  il  y 
a  trois  ans  et  a  moins  d'etre  depourvus  de  tous  sentiments 
d' humanity,  on  no  peut  qu'admirer  et  venerer  le  genie  qui 
gouverne  la  France  !  Si  vous  recevez  des  nouvelles  de  la-bas 
ne  manquez  de  me  les  donner  !  Marquez-moi  aussi  si  vous 
etes  decide  a  venir  ici !  Adieu,  mon  cher  ami,  portez  vous 
bien,   et   croyez    a  mon  sincere  attachement. 

11  P.  De  Matjpertuis." 

TRANSLATION. 

"  Paris,  October  24th  1804. 
"  My  dear  friend :  I  received  yesterday  evening  on 
returning  from  the  country  the  letter  which  you  have 
been  so  friendly  as  to  write.  I  am  well  convinced 
that  you  are  tired  of  Amsterdam,  but  you  enjoy 
good  health,  and  that  is  the  essential  thing.  For 
a  very  long  time  I  have  not  received  any  news  from 
M.  Jerome  Bonaparte,  neither  directly  nor  indirectly. 
I  am  very  sorry  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  return 
in  France  before  the  coronation.  It  was  the  proper 
time,  and  in  spite  of  the  wrath  of  the  Emperor,  I 
dare  hope  that  all  would  have  been  satisfactorily 
settled.  The  coronation  will  take  place  on  .the  15th 
Frimaire.  The  Pope  will  arrive  in  Paris  on  the  2d. 
If  you  come  you  will  be  able  to  see  the  ceremony  in 
comfort,  or  at  least  the  procession,  without  requiring 
a  ticket,  because  it  will  pass  all  along  the  Boulevards 
to  go  to  Notre  Dame.     It  will  certainly  be  the  finest 


THE  BO  NAP  A  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARR1A  GE.         131 

spectacle  which  has  ever  been  seen.  I  long  to  see  it 
take  place.  We  only  want  a  general  peace  to  be 
happy.  No  one  would  believe  there  has  been  a  revo- 
lution in  France;  and  people  may  say  what  they 
please,  there  is  only  one  hero  in  the  world  like  ours 
able  to  accomplish  such  a  change.  I  do  not  know  how 
certain  papers  can  delight  in  their  abusive  language. 
They  utter  libels  which  do  very  little  honor  to  their 
authors,  for  what  were  we  less  than  three  years  ago  ? 
and  unless  we  are  deprived  of  all  feelings  of  humanity, 
we  can  but  admire  and  revere  the  genius  which  rules 
France.  If  you  receive  any  news  from  London  let 
me  know.  Do  not  fail  to  tell  me  also  if  you  are 
decided  to  come  here.  Farewell,  my  dear  friend, 
keep  in  good  health,  and  believe  in  my  sincere  affec- 
tion. P.  DE  MAUPERTUIS." 

Mons.  Maupertuis  still  continues  his  correspond- 
ence from  Paris,  and  the  following  letter  came  as  an 
enclosure  in  Mr.  Robert  Patterson's  letter  from  Paris, 
dated  the  25th  December  1804  :— 


"Ilya  quelques  jours,  mon  cher  Chambry,  que  je  rec,us  uno 
lettre  de  vous  qui  me  fit  le  plus  grand  plaisir,  parcequ'elle  me 
donne  l'espoir  de  vous  revoir  bientot-,  les  destinees  en  ont 
autrement  ordonne.  II  faut  se  resigner,  quoiqu'il  en  coute. 
Je  ne  sais  si  vous  avez  rcc;u  toutes  les  lettres  que  j'ai  eu  le 
plaisir  de  vous  ecrire,  on  ne  sait  en  v6rite'  comment  fairc  pour 
entretenir  en  temps  de  guerre  une  correspondance  d'aussi  loin. 
Si  vous  voycz  M.  J.  B.,  dites-lui,  je  vous  prie,  de  ne  pas  §tre 
fache  contre  moi,  si  je  ne  lui  ecris  pas.  Les  lettres  peuvent  6tre 
prises,  et  les  Anglais  en  font  des  gorges-chaudes  dans  leurs 
gazettes,  ce  dont  on  se  moque  j  ce  n'est  pas  la  l'embarras,  mais 


1 32        THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERS  ON  MARRIA  GE. 

ca  ne  laisse  pas  que  d'etre  d6sagreable.  Quant  a  nous  autres 
simples  particuliers,  l'inconv6nient  n'est  pas  aussi  grand.  Je 
mene  toujours  la  menie  vie  ;  il  me  tarde  d'en  sortir,  ce  qui  ne 
tardera  pas,  car  sa  majesty  a  eu  la  bont6  de  me  nommer  au 
Consulat  de  Rotterdam,  ou  je  compte  me  rendre  aussitSt  1' ex- 
pedition de  mes  ordres.  Si  je  peux  vous  §tre  bon  a  quel  que 
chose  dans  ce  pays-la,  disposez  de  moi  sans  facon.  Nous 
avons  eu  ici  des  fetes  superbes.  J'ai  assiste  a  presque  toutes 
les  c6r6monies,  et  comme  j'y  6tais  de  coeur,  vous  sentez  com- 
bien  elles  m'ont  interess6. 

"  Voila  done  la  France  revenue  a  un  gouvernement  apres 
lequel  tous  les  honnetes  gens  aspiraient.  Dieu  veuille  con- 
server  celui  qui  en  est  le  chef;  e'est  a  present  le  voeu  que 
forme  tout  bon  Francois.  Que  de  fois  au  milieu  de  ces  vceux- 
la,  j'ai  regrette  de  ne  pas  y  voir  M.  J.  B. !  II  faut  que  le  mal- 
heur  lui  en  veuille  bien  pour  qu'il  trouve  tant  d'obstacles  a  son 
re  tour.  Madame  sa  mere  est  arrivee  ces  jours  derniers  de 
Rome.  J'ai  ete  lui  rendre  mes  hommages  hier-,  il  n'est  pas 
possible  d'en  etre  rec,u  avec  plus  d'affabilit6  :  elle  m'a  beau- 
coup  parl6  de  M.  son  fils,  et  est  tres  affect^e  de  sa  disgrace. 
Elle  doit  m'envoyer  aujourd'hui  une  lettre  pour  lui,  que  je 
renfermerai  dans  la  mienne  et  que  je  vous  prie  de  lui  remettre. 

u  Elle  se  plaint  de  n'en  avoir  pas  recju,  ce  qui  n'est  pas  6ton- 
nants,  vu  toutes  les  entraves  de  la  guerre.  II  fera  fort  bien,  je 
crois,  de  lui  donner  au  plutot  de  ses  nouvelles.  J'ai  remis  a  l'lm- 
peratrice  celle  que  M.  J.  B.  m'avait  adressSe  pour  Elle.  II  me 
parait  qu'elle  lui  on  ne  peut  plus  attachee.  Je  suis  convaincu 
que  si  M.  J.  B.  arrivant  ici  et  se  jettant  aux  pieds  de  sou 
auguste  frere,  plaideront  mieux  la  cause  que  les  meilleurs 
avocats,  quoiqu'il  parait  toujours  indispose.  J'ai  envoye  il  y  a 
quelques  temps  a  M.  J.  B.  une  lettre  du  Prince  Louis  qui  sure- 
ment  lui  traqait  la  conduite  qu'il  a  a  tenir.  Quant  k  moi  je 
donnerais  la  moitie  de  mon  existence  pour  qu'il  fut  rendu  en 
France.  Plus  il  tardera  et  plus  l'Empereur  sera  irrit6.  Ce  qui 
me  rassure  e'est  que  ce  h6ros  qui  jusqu'a  present  a  pardonne 
a  ses  plus  grands  ennemis  ne  sera  pas  inexorable  a  l'egard 
d'un  frere  qu'il  cherit  beaucoup.     M.  Patterson  a  eu  la  bonte 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         133 


de  m'ecrire  et  de  me  faire  part  du  malheureux  naufrage  de  M. 
J.  B.  Personne  n'a  ete  plus  afflige  de  ce  malheureux  evene- 
ment  que  Mde.  B.  a  du  souflfrir,  mais  il  faut  croire  que  e'est 
peut  etre  une  catastrophe  qui  finira  toutes  leurs  peines  1 

"  Les  deux  fregates  franchises  sont  arrivees  a  Lorient,  apres 
une  belle  traversee  qu'il  eut  ete  heureux  que  M.  J.  B.  eut  pu 
profiter  de  cette  occasion,  il  arrivait  dans  un  bien  beau  mo- 
ment. A  mon  arrivee  a  Rotterdam  je  vous  ecrirai,  y  ay  ant  de 
frequentes  occasions  pour  l'Amerique.  J'ai  vu  ici  M.  Robert 
Patterson,  qui  est  venu  y  passer  quelques  temps  pour  sea  ' 
affaires  de  commerce  ;  il  ecrit  a  M.  son  pere  et  se  charge  de  vous 
faire  parvenir  cette  lettre :  donuez-moi,  jc  vous  prie,  des  nou- 
velles.  Offrez  mes  rospects  a  M.  et  Mde.  J.  B. ;  et  croyez,  mon 
cher  Chambry,  au  devouement  de  votre  sincere  ami, 

"P.  de  Maupertuis." 

TRANSLATION. 

"  My  dear  Chambry :  A  few  days  ago  I  received  a 
letter  which  gave  me  the  greatest  pleasure,  because  it 
gave  me  the  hope  of  seeing  you  soon  again.  The 
fates  have  ordered  otherwise.  We  must  be  resigned, 
whatever  it  costs.  I  do  not  know  if  you  have  re- 
ceived all  the  letters  that  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  writing  to  you.  Truly,  we  do  not  know  how  to 
carry  on  a  correspondence  at  such  a  distance  in  time 
of  war.  If  you  see  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  tell  him,  if 
you  please,  not  to  be  angry  against  me  if  I  do  not  write 
to  him.  The  letters  may  be  captured  and  the  English 
make  fun  of  them ;  in  their  newspapers  people  laugh 
at  them ;  it  is  not  of  much  consequence,  but  it  is  not 
the  less  unpleasant.  As  for  us  private  individuals,  the 
inconvenience  is  not  so  great.  Here  I  always  live  in 
the  same  manner.  I  long  to  go  out  of  it,  which  will 
not  be  long,  for  his  Majesty  has  had  the  kindness  to 


134         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

nominate  me  to  the  Consulship  at  Rotterdam,  where  I 
expect  to  go  as  soon  as  I  shall  have  received  my  in- 
structions. If  I  can  be  of  any  use  to  you  in  that 
country,  dispose  of  me  as  you  think  best.  Here  we 
have  had  splendid  fetes.  I  have  assisted  in  almost 
all  the  ceremonies,  and  as  I  was  in  sympathy  with 
them  you  know  how  much  they  have  interested  me. 

"  Behold,  then,  France  returned  to  a  form  of  go- 
vernment according  to  the  wishes  of  all  honest 
people  !  God  preserve  him  who  is  at  the  head  of  it ! 
It  is  now  the  prayer  which  all  good  Frenchmen  make  ! 
How  many  times  in  making  these  ejaculations  have  I 
regretted  that  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  is  absent !  Mis- 
fortunes must  pursue  him  eagerly,  that  he  finds  so 
many  obstacles  to  his  return. 

"  Madame,  his  mother,  is  arrived  lately  from 
Rome.  Yesterday  I  paid  her  a  visit.  It  was  im- 
possible to  be  received  with  more  affability.  She 
spoke  a  great  deal  about  her  son.  She  is  very  much 
affected  by  his  disgrace.  She  will  send  me  a  letter 
to-day  which  I  will  enclose  in  mine,  and  I  pray  you 
to  have  the  kindness  to  remit  it  to  him. 

"  She  complains  of  not  having  received  any  letters  ; 
which  is  not  wonderful,  considering  all  the  impedi- 
ments of  the  war.  I  have  remitted  to  the  Empress 
the  letter  that  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  had  addressed 
to  me  for  her.  It  appears  to  me  that  she  is  very 
much  attached  to  him.  I  am  satisfied  that,  if  M. 
Jerome  Bonaparte  on  arriving  here  throws  himself  at 
the  feet  of  his  august  brother,  he  would  plead  his 
cause  better  than  the  best  of  lawyers,  though  he 
appeared  so  very  much  dissatisfied  some  time  ago. 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         135 

"  I  send  a  letter  from  the  Prince  Louis  to  M. 
Jerome  Bonaparte,  showing  him  what  course  to  pur- 
sue. I  would  give  half  my  existence  for  his  return 
to  France.  The  more  he  delays,  the  more  the  Empe- 
ror will  be  irritated.  But  what  reassures  me  is,  that 
the  hero  who,  till  now,  has  forgiven  his  greatest  ene- 
mies, will  not  be  inexorable  regarding  a  brother 
whom  he  cherishes  so  much.  Mr.  Patterson  has  had 
the  goodness  to  write  to  me,  and  let  me  know  the  un- 
happy shipwreck  of  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte.  Nobody 
has  been  more  afflicted,  or  has  suffered  more  by  this 
unhappy  event  than  Mrs.  Jerome  Bonaparte ;  but  we 
must  believe  that  this  is  perhaps  a  catastrophe  which 
will  finish  all  their  sorrows. 

"  The  two  frigates  are  arrived  at  L'Orient  after  a 
fine  voyage.  It  would  have  been  well  if  M.  Jerome 
Bonaparte  had  been  able  to  profit  by  this  opportunity. 
He  would  have  arrived  at  the  most  propitious  mo- 
ment. After  my  arrival  at  Rotterdam  I  will  write  to 
you,  having  frequent  opportunities  for  America.  I 
have  seen  Mr.  Robert  Patterson,  who  has  come  to 
pass  some  time  upon  his  commercial  affairs.  He  writes 
to  his  father,  and  takes  charge  to  remit  you  this 
letter.  Please  let  me  have  some  news  from  you. 
Present  my  respects  to  Mrs.  and  Mr.  Jerome  Bona- 
parte, and  believe  my  dear  Chambry,  in  the  devotion 
of  your  true  friend,  P.  de  Maupertuis." 

In  this  letter  Maupertuis  fully  describes  himself, 
and  at  the  time  of  writing,  the  coronation  referred  to 
in  several  of  his  letters  had  taken  place  at  the  altar 


136          THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE. 

of  Notre  Dame ;  and  the  world  had  been  dazzled  by 
the  sight,  and  the  following  description  of  it.  It 
took  place  on  the  2d  of  December  1804,  Pope  Pius 
VII.,  then  in  Paris,  officiating. 

"  When  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  approached  the 
altar  to  be  crowned,  he  took  the  imperial  crown  him- 
self and  placed  it  upon  his  head.  It  was  a  diadem 
of  oak  and  laurel  leaves  in  gold.  His  Majesty  after- 
wards took  the  crown  destined  for  the  Empress,  and 
after  having  decorated  himself  with  it  for  a  moment, 
he  placed  it  upon  the  head  of  his  august  consort. 
The  firmness,  grandeur,  and  nobleness  of  her  manner 
drew  from  every  quarter  shouts  of  admiration  and 
joy.  The  mixed  dignity,  grace,  and  modesty  marked 
by  every,;  one  in  the  demeanor  of  the  Empress  in 
quitting  the  canopy  under  which  she  had  been  re- 
ceived at  the  entrance  of  Notre  Dame,  af  e  the  theme 
of  general  conversation." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Maupertuis  retires — Xapoleon  appears  again — His  prestige 
— Battle  of  Austerlitz — Young  couple  contemplate  sailing — 
Keflections  on  the  embarkation — Robert  Patterson  on  specula- 
tion— General  Smith  again— P.  Cuneo  De  Ornano — His  letter 
— Mr.  Patterson's  letter — General  Armstrong — Letter  from 
M.  Meyronet  to  Jerome — Mr.  Patterson  alarmed — He  writes 
in  cipher — The  Monitcur — Lucien  Bonaparte  in  prison — 
Jerome  to  be  thrown  in  prison — Betsy  to  be  sent  back — The 
young  couple  embark  for  Europe — Departure  from  Baltimore 
— General  Tuerreau,  French  Minister — Jerome's  horses— Mr. 
Carrere — "London-particular-three-years-old  wine" — General 
Rewbell's  letter — Jonathan  Jones — Wet  letters — Bordeaux 
Gazette. 

Maupertuis,  a  small  asteroid,  revolving  around  the 
Napoleonic  centre,  after  affording  the  very  agreeable 
light  from  the  letters  which  appear  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  goes  out,  and  we  shall  see  him  no  more  as  a 
correspondent ;  yet  he  has  engraved  his  name  in  the 
indestructible  flint  of  words  ;  and  he  will  not  therefore 
be  forgotten  by  the  generations  of  men  whose  coming 
quickened  his  departure.  With  the  Christmas  fes- 
tivities of  1804,  he  disappears,  to  take  charge  of  his 
Consulate  at  Rotterdam,  and  from  him  we  hear  no 
more  secrets  from  the  throne.. 

Bidding  farewell  to  the  year  1804,  we  enter  upon 
a  detail  of  the  wonderful  events  of  1805.  In  this 
year,  Napoleon  answers  the  charges  of  territorial 
usurpations  by  encroachments  upon    the    North    of 

(137) 


138        THE  BONAPAR TE-PA  TTERSOX  MA RRIA GE. 

Europe ;  and  a  war  is  about  to  be  precipitated  which 
will  deluge  the  continent  with  blood.  Napoleon  will 
be  crowned  King  of  Italy,  and  the  battle  of  Auster- 
litz  will  be  fought.  As  "  westward  the  star  of  empire 
holds  its  way,"  so  flows  the  tide  of  conquest  south- 
ward ;  and  Napoleon,  discovering  this  perhaps  in  ad- 
vance of  his  cotemporaries,  marches  northward  in 
time  to  check  it,  and  the  prestige  of  a  descent  upon 
him.  He  knew  that  war  conducts  itself  by  prestige 
and  by  panic.  These  go  before  a  moving  army. 
Prestige  dazzles  and  demoralizes  the  enemy ;  panic 
takes  him  prisoner ;  the  army  moves  up,  and  the  vic- 
tory is  easy.  If  therefore  the  combined  armies, 
opposed  to  Napoleon  at  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  could 
have  availed  themselves  of  the  advantages  of  time 
and  marched  down  upon  Napoleon,  the  prestige  would 
have  been  with  them,  panic  would  have  seized  the 
French,  and  Paris  would  have  yielded  to  the  forces 
of  siege.  Bonaparte's  main  victories  were  won  from 
the  prestige  that  accompanied  him  on  his  grand 
marches  ;  and  we  cannot  see  that  he  gained  a  victory 
at  Austerlitz  by  any  superior  abilities  he  possessed, 
but  by  the  advantage  he  took  of  a  blunder  caused  by 
the  panic  which  had  gone  before  him,  and  seized  a 
division  of  the  allied  armies. 

In  the  midst  of  the  most  extensive  preparations  for 
war,  when  Napoleon  is  giddy  from  the  adulterated 
wines  of  exaltation,  and  when  he  is  fondly  dreaming 
that  his  dominion  and  that  of  his  family  will  be  an 
"everlasting  dominion,"  the  wife  of  Jerome  goes  to 
Europe.     Already,  in  America,  she  is  hemmed  in  by 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  139 

rising  clouds,  and  to  cross  the  Atlantic  is  but  to  quail 
and  quiver  before  an  awful  squall.  None  save  heart- 
less eyes  will  behold  her  in  France  even,-  if,  after  her 
voyage,  she  should  be  allowed  to  refresh  herself  on 
its  territory.  Her  fame  and  beauty  go  before  her, 
and  sadly  wait  her  coming.  There,  a  friend  she  will 
fear  to  make,  for  the  smiles  which  she  may  behold 
will  be  those  provoked  by  the  demon  of  deception ; 
and  unforgiven  monsters  will  perhaps  eagerly  pursue 
her.  In  the  warm  floral  spring  of  hope  she  will  rejoice 
awhile  before  she  embarks ;  but  even  then,  in  her 
rejoicings,  she  will  behold  in  her  future  much  of  the 
autumnal  and  but  little  of  the  vernal.  But  she  must 
go  to  Europe !  The  strange  music  of  the  billow  will, 
for  a  season,  charm  away  her  misgivings,  and  inspire 
her  with  hope  that  her  arrival  will  strike  the  cold 
steel  of  Napoleon's  heart,  and  bring  out,  at  last,  a 
spark  of  leniency.     This  is  all. 

Whilst  the  young  couple  indulge  in  the  festivities 
of  the  society  of  Baltimore  during  the  winter  pre- 
vious to  their  embarkation  for  Europe,  we  will  place 
before  the  reader  another  letter  from  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson,  who  is  passing  the  winter  in  Paris.  On 
account  of  the  historical  interest  it  possesses,  we  give 
the  letter  in  full.     It  is  addressed  to  his  father. 

"  Paris,  7th  January  1805. 
"  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  am  now  to  explain  to  you  a  speculation  I 
have  in  view,  which,  if  it  can  be  executed,  cannot 
fail  of  proving  immensely  advantageous.  Our  govern- 
ment  are   very  desirous  of   obtaining  from   Spain   a 


140          THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

cession  of  East  Florida.  This  object,  I  think,  will 
soon  be  effected,  either  by  the  direct  negotiation  now 
carrying  on,  or  else  by  the  mediation  of  this  govern- 
ment. 

"  My  wish  is  to  endeavor  to  get  a  grant  from  the 
court  of  Madrid  for  some  of  the  unappropriated  lands 
in  that  country,  previous  to  its  being  ceded  to  the 
United  States ;  and  I  do  not  apprehend  there  will  be 
much  difficulty  in  doing  it — as  what  they  may  get  in 
this  way  will  be  so  much  saved ;.  for  all  the  lands  of 
this  description  would  of  course  be  ceded  without  re- 
muneration, as  in  the  case  of  Louisiana,  if  a  cession 
of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  country  is  made  to  the 
United  States. 

"  It  is  imagined  there  are  about  3,000,000  of  acres 
unlocated,  the  whole  of  which  may  be  probably  pur- 
chased at  3,  4,  or  5  cents  per  acre.  This  business 
has  appeared  to  me  so  important  that  I  have  written 
to  Lucien,  mentioning  it  to  him,  and  saying  at  the 
same  time  everything  I  thought  necessary  to  induce 
him  to  take  an  interest  in  it,  either  for  himself,  or 
Jerome,  to  whom  I  have  said  it  would  be  a  secure  and 
brilliant  fortune.  His  answer  aught  to  be  here  in 
three  or  four  weeks.  If  he  approves  of  the  plan, 
and  the  cession  is  retarded  sufficiently  to  give  me  an 
opportunity,  I  shall  set  out  to  see  him  in  order  to 
make  the  arrangements  to  carry  it  into  execution. 
If  he  joins  in  it,  we  can  treat  for  the  whole  ;  but  if 
he  does  not,  we  must  endeavor  to  get  grants  for  the 
choicest  of  them.  There  is  a  part  well  adapted  to 
the  culture  of  sea-island  cotton.     We  will  make  our- 


THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE.        141 

selves  well  informed  as  to  the  local  situation  of  the 
country,  so  that,  if  we  cannot  embrace  the  whole,  we 
may  make  a  judicious  selection.  Mr.  O'Meally,  with 
whom  you  are  no  doubt  acquainted,  is  the  person  to 
whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  hint  of  the  speculation. 
He  will  embark  $20,000  in  it,  and  I  shall  interest 
you  as  far  as  from  $25,000  to  $30,000,  provided  it 
can  be  executed  upon  the  terms  I  have  stated.  If  I 
could  with  any  kind  of  propriety  mention  to  you  the 
person  that  the  scheme  originated  with,  you  would  be 
satisfied  it  is  well  conceived,  and  is  not  impracticable 
in  execution.  Be  assured,  however,  that  I  prize  too 
much  your  good  opinion  and  confidence  to  embark 
you  in  a  speculation  in  which  I  do  not  see  my  way 
very  clear ;  and  I  shall  weigh  every  circumstance  in 
the  present  before  I  commit  you.  Da  not  lose  any 
time  in  giving  me  your  opinion  in  the  fullest  manner 
on  this  subject.  I  beg  what  I  have  said  may  not  be 
communicated  to  any  person,  lest  it  might  injure 
those  who  are  concerned. 

"  The  business  of  the  claims  is  progressing  pretty 
rapidly.  Many  of  them  have  passed  the  last  ordeal — 
the  inspection  of  our  ambassador,  and  that  of  the 
minister  of  finance  here.  The  whole  affair  will  shortly 
be  terminated  by  an  emission  of  the  bills.  It  cannot 
but  afford  you  pleasure  to  learn  that  our  worthy 
friend  Bentalou  has  received  $40,000.  This  sum 
will  make  him  comfortable  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  will  have  to  receive  on  account  of  the  bills  of 
others  to  the  amount  of  700*000  francs.  He  intends 
remitting  them  to  you  for  collection,  and  to  be  paid 


142        THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

over  to  the  proprietors,  after  deducting  his  com- 
missions ;  and  the  expenses  incurred  in  prosecuting 
them.  He  tells  me  Mr.  Skipwith  represents  about 
6,000,000,  which  he  will  probably  send  to  you  also  for 
collection ;  and  that  he  intends,  in  case  of  determin- 
ing on  this,  to  make  a  proposal  to  me  to  pay  him  his 
commissions,  and  the  expenses  due  him  from  them, 
amounting  to  about  $80,000,  in  this  place,  twelve 
months  after  the  bills  are  sent  from  hence.  He  ex- 
pects to  be  paid  at  the  rate  of  108  sous  for  the  dollar. 
I  give  you  this  as  I  received  it.  When  I  have  his 
proposals,  I  shall  make  the  best  terms  I  can  as  to 
commissions,  &c.  Bentalou  will  want  about  $20,000 
on  account  of  his  claims.  I  will  let  him  have  it  at 
the  discount  that  may  be  established,  which  I  expect 
will  be  about  10  per  cent.  Skipwith  will  probably 
require  as  much — not  more,  however ;  and  in  the  event 
of  his  putting  the  business  I  have  spoken  of  into  our 
hands,  I  shall  accommodate  him  on  the  same  terms. 
Exchange  on  Holland  is  not  quite  so  disadvantageous 
as  it  was.  I  could  draw  at  this  moment  without  losing 
more  than  one  per  cent. 

"  In  a  short  time,  I  will  have  it  in  my  power  to 
inform  you  more  particularly  with  regard  to  the  land 
affair,  and  what  is  the  result  of  the  claim  business, 
that  you  may  make  your  arrangements  accordingly. 

"  9th  January. — Our  friend  Maupertuis  is  making 
preparations  to  repair  to  his  consulate  at  Rotterdam. 
To  assist  him  in  his  outfits,  I  have  given  him  a  draft 
on  S.  &  H.  for  F3000   current  money.     He  returns 


THE  B  OX  A  PARTE-  PA  TTE  RSON  MA  RRIA  GE.  1 43 

me  his  obligation  for  the  like  sum  with  interest, 
*  payable  in  twelve  months. 

"  The  negotiation  for  East  Florida  is  to  be  trans- 
ferred from  Madrid  to  this  place.  I  am  sure  this 
matter  will  not  be  so  easily  arranged  as  I  first  thought. 
Our  government  expected  to  have  got  that  country  by 
giving  as  a  recompense  the  claims  of  its  citizens  on 
Spain  for  depredations,  and  will  not  consent  to  pay 
another  farthing  out  of  the  treasury  for  the  purchase 
of  territory.  The  language  of  this  government  is, 
we  will,  as  the  friends  of  Spain,  take  care  of  her 
interests  ;  we  will  treat  with  you  for  the  country  ;  but 
it  is  absurd  to  suppose  you  can  have  it  for  nothing ; 
and  ice  will  be  satisfied  without  recompense  for  our 
interference. 

"  The  government  of  the  United  States  think  they 
have  a  right  to  the  country,  and  will  very  probably 
take  it  by  force  of  arms.  If  you  see  any  movement 
of  our  troops  which  indicates  such  an  intention,  I 
would  advise  you  instantly  desisting  from  any  ship- 
ments to  France,  Spain,  and  Holland  even,  as  I  do 
not  think  property  would  be  secure  in  either  country. 

"  I  shall  of  course  give  Mcllhenny  &  Glennie 
timely  information,  that  they  may  stop  any  of  our 
vessels  which  may  call  with  them,  in  case  it  should  be 
necessary.  The  cession  may,  however,  be  still  brought 
about  in  an  amicable  manner,  and  without  any  ex- 
pense to  our  government,  which  is  by  Spain's  giving 
jurisdiction  of  the  country  to  us  as  an  off-set  to  the 
demands  of  our  citizens  on  her,  and  by  raising  a 
company  in  Holland  which  might,  for  a  grant  of  the 


144         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

unappropriated  lands,  give  a  sufficient  sum  to  the 
officers  of  this  government  to  recompense  them  for 
their  mediation.  If  anything  of  this  nature  is  deter- 
mined on,  it  is  not  improbable  that  I  may  be  employed 
in  the  business,  as  they  know  my  acquaintance  with 
Holland.  My  last  letter  to  you  was  of  the  25th  ult. 
In  this  I  recommended  Jerome's  returning  alone  to 
France,  and  his  sending  his  wife  to  Holland.  Nothing 
has  occurred  since  to  induce  me  to  think  a  different 
conduct  advisable. 

"  Yours  very  affectionately, 

"Robert  Patterson." 

Under  date  of  January  13th  1805,  Gen.  Samuel 
Smith,  then  a  member  of  Congress,  writes  to  William 
Patterson,  Esquire,  in  Baltimore.  From  his  letter  we 
copy  the  following  paragraph  : 

"  Mr.  Bonaparte  arrived  here  at  eleven  o'clock.  He 
is  well,  and  Nancy  is  in  high  spirits.  Tell  Betsy 
that  I  have  called  twice  on  Stuart,  but  he  was  from 
home." 

This  locates  Bonaparte  in  Washington  and  his  wife 
in  Baltimore  for  the  present;  but  we  cannot  enlighten 
the  reader  so  much  as  to  give  a  biographical  sketch 
of  "Nancy." 

In  compliance  with  the  order  of  time  in  which 
events  successively  occur,  we  pause  again  to  bring  in 
another  writer.  He  hails  from  St.  Croix  de  Tene- 
riffe,  writes  good  French,  it  is  said,  and  we  give  his 
letter  in  full : — 


THE  BOXAPA  R  TE-  PA  TTERSOX  MA  RB  J  A  GE.         145 

11  St.  Croix  de  T6ne>iffe,  le  30  Nivose,  an  2  Empire  fran. 
Le  Commissaire  des  Relations  Coinmerciales   de  1'    Empire 
Francais  aux  Canaries, 

A  Son  Altesse  Imperiale  le  Prince  J6rome  Bonaparte : 

u  Je  ne  doute  point,  qu'etant  si  61oign6  de  l'Europe,  V.  A. 
Imperial  ne  recoit  avec  plaisir  les  nouvehes  d'un  concitoyen,  qui 
a  l'honneur  de  vous  faire  des  compliments  sur  votre  mariage, 
et  fait  des  vceux  pour  votre  prosperity  et  de  l'aimable  prin- 
cesse,  que  vous  avez  cru  digne  de  votre  choix.  Elle  est  parfaite. 
ment  connu  par  Mde.  Dumestre,  qui  se  trouve  actucllement 
dans  cette  ville  ;  pour  tout  ce  qu'elle  me  dit,  elle  brillera  a  Paris, 
etfera  les  delices  de  votre  auguste  f'amille,  et  de  la  societe.  Je 
serais  fort  heureux  si  a  votre  retour  le  hazard  pouvaitme  pro- 
curer l'honneur  de  vous  recevoir  en  ce  port,  et  vous  procurer 
quelques  rafraichissements. 

"  Je  ne  puis  vous  donner  des  nouvelles  fraiches  de  la  France. 
Lesdernieresquej'airecusontdateesdu  18  Brumaire.  La  guerre 
entre  l'Espagne  et  S.  M.  I.  est  declare,  ce  qui  rend  notre  cor- 
respondance  tres  difficile.  Le  meurtre  <!<■  300  sujets  de  S.  M., 
Penlevement  d'un  tresor  considerable  et  par  une  agression  pr6- 
m6dit6e,  ont  ali6n6  le  reste  d'attachement  ou  du  moins  des  rap- 
ports, qui  subsists  it  encore  entre  les  deux  cours.  Dans  cette 
conjoncture  actuellement  critique,  mais  qui  par  l'avenir  ne  tour- 
nera  qu'a  la  destruction  plus  certaine  de  la  puissance  anglaise. 

"  Le  sacre  de  S.  M.  I.  avait  ete  renvoye  au  4  Nivose.  Le 
pape  etait  attendu  ainsi  que  la  Princesse  Votre  Mere,  et  le  Car- 
dinal Fesch.  Les  preparatifs  pour  cette  auguste  c6r£monie 
annoncent  les  plus  grandes  rejouissances. 

"  Ceux  qu'on  fait  pour  la  descente  en  Angleterre  s'executent 
avec  la  plus  grande  vigueur  qui  6tonne,  quoique  personne  ne 
peut  penetrer  les  intentions  de  S.  M.  I.  On  est  generalement 
persuade,  qu'elle  pourras'efFectuer  malgre  larigueur  del'liiver. 
Dieu  fasse  que  tout  aille  bien  au  gre  des  desire  de  tout  bon 
Franqais.  Une  nouvelle  est  r6pandue  et  dont  je  ne  puis  vous 
assurer,  que  la  flotte  de  Brest  composee  de  27  vaisseaux  sous 
le  commandement  de  l'Amiral  Gontcaume  est  sortie  en  trom- 


146         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

pant  la  vigilance  des  Anglais.     Si  elle  est  vraie,  nous  appren- 
drons  bientot  quelque  coup  funcste  porte  sur  nos  ennemis. 

"  Nos  troupes  sont  a  Hainbourg,  on  s'est  empare  de  tous  les 
comptoirs  anglais. 

"  Je  desire  que  cette  lettre  vous  parvienne.  elle  me  procurait 
l'avantage  de  recevoir  des  nouvelles  de  S.  A.  I.  Daignez  dis- 
poser de  votre  Concitoyen  avec  1' assurance  du  plus  grand 
attachement,  et  du  plus  profond  respect. 

"Cuneo  D'Ornano." 

TRANSLATION. 

"  St.  Croix  of  Teneriffe, 

"  January  20th  1805. 
"  The  Commissary  of   Commercial  Relations  of  the 

French  Empire  to  the  Canaries, 
"  To  His  Imperial  Highness 

The  Prince  Jerome  Bonaparte  : 

"  I  do  not  doubt  that,  being  so  far  from  Europe, 
your  Imperial  Highness  will  receive  with  pleasure  the 
news  of  your  fellow-citizen  who  has  the  honor  to 
compliment  you  on  your  marriage,  and  heartily  pray 
for  your  prosperity,  and  that  of  the  lovely  princess 
you  have  thought  worthy  of  your  choice. 

"  She  is  perfectly  known  by  Mrs.  Duinestre,  who  is 
now  in  this  city.  Mrs.  Duinestre  tells  me  she  will 
shine  in  Paris,  and  constitute  the  delight  of  your 
august  family  and  of  society.  I  should  be  most  happy 
if,  in  your  return  home,  I  should  be  lucky  enough  to 
receive  you  in  this  port  and  procure  you  some  re- 
freshments. 

"  I  cannot  give  you  any  new  intelligence  from 
France.     The  latest  I  have  received  is  dated  the  18th 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         147 

Brumaire  (12th  November.)  War  between  Spain  and 
II.  I.  M.  is  declared,  which  renders  our  correspon- 
dence very  difficult. 

"  The  murder  of  three  hundred  subjects  of  H.  I. 
M.,  and  the  capture  of  considerable  treasure  by  pre- 
meditated aggression,  have  alienated  the  remaining 
ties,  or  rather  the  relations  which  existed  between  the 
two  courts,  and  in  this  critical  conjuncture,  will  in 
future  turn  to  the  sure  destruction  of  the  English 
power. 

"  The  coronation  of  II.  I.  M.  has  been  postponed  to 
the  25th  of  January.  The  Pope  was  expected,  as 
well  as  the  Princess  your  mother,  and  Cardinal  Fesch. 
The  preparations  for  this  august  ceremony  portend  a 
time  of  great  rejoicing.  Those  which  are  made  for  the 
landing  in  England  are  going  on  with  the  greatest 
vigor,  but  nobody  can  penetrate  the  designs  of  H.  I. 
M.  People  are  generally  persuaded  that  it  will  take 
place  in  spite  of  the  rigors  of  winter.  God  grant 
that  all  may  turn  out  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  good 
Frenchmen.  A  report  has  been  spread  abroad,  that 
the  Brest  fleet,  composed  of  twenty-seven  ships  of  the 
line  under  the  command  of  Admiral  Gonteaume,  has 
sailed  out,  evading  the  vigilance  of  the  English.  If 
this  is  true,  we  shall  soon  hear  of  some  heavy  blow 
given  to  the  enemy. 

"Our  troops  are  in  Hamburg,  and  have  taken  pos- 
session of  all  the  English  factories.  I  wish  that  you 
may  receive  this  letter,  in  order  that  I  may  receive 
some  news  of  H.  I.  H.  Please  consider  me  at  your 
service,  with  the  assurance  of  the  greatest  affection 


148  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-  PA  T TEES ON  MARRTA  GE. 

and   the  greatest  respect.     Your   most   humble  and 
obedient  servant, 

P.  Cuneo  D'Ornano." 

On  the  29th  January  1805,  Mr.  Patterson  writes 
again  to  his  father  in  Baltimore.  His  letter  is  of  no 
interest  whatever  to  a  reader  at  this  late  day.  It  is 
ptincipally  of  a  commercial  character,  giving  prices 
current,  &c. ;  but  those  paragraphs  which  have  a  bear- 
ing upon  our  subject,  we  copy.  He  says  :  "  Respecting 
the  business  I  opened  to  you  in  my  letter  of  the  7th 
and  9th  inst.,  we  wait  for  the  answer  to  my  letter  to 
Rome  before  we  take  any  measures  in  the  business. 
Mr.  Monroe  in  a  letter  from  Madrid  states  that  that 
court  has  it  in  contemplation  to  throw  open  the  trade 
of  its  colonies  to  all  neutral  nations,  on  the  condition 
that  the  adventurers  will  pay  at  Madrid  by  anticipa- 
tion the  duties  on  their  cargoes.  You  may  depend 
on  this  information  being  correct.  I  would  not  how- 
ever wish  it  mentioned  as  from  me. 

"  As  an  accommodation  to  our  friend  Bentalou,  I 
have  agreed  to  lend  him  $10,000,  and  have  written  to 
S.  &  H.  to  remit  me  a  bill  to  that  amount.  I  am  to 
be  reimbursed  by  a  purchase  of  the  bills,  if  I  like  the 
terms  on  which  claims  of  this  description  sell  at; 
otherwise,  he  will  take  up  his  obligation  for  the  money 
lent,  allowing  me  interest  on  the  same.  I  have  a 
perfect  recollection  of  your  maxims  on  this  head ;  but 
you  must  allow  there  are  situations  in  which  a  devia- 
tion from  them  may  be  permitted,  and  this  is  one. 
He  is  a  very  worthy  man,  and  the  friendly  interest  he 


THE  B ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE.         149 

takes  in  our  concerns  really  lays  us  under  obligations 
to  him.  It  is  thought  the  bills  will  be  issued  in  the 
course  of  two  or  three  weeks.  Bentalou  has  claims 
of  his  own  passed  amounting  to  $40,000,  and  repre- 
sents others  for  about  600,000  francs,  which,  as  I 
mentioned  to  you  before,  are  to  be  remitted  you  for 
collection. 

"  I  have  seen  Mr.  Skipwith  once  since  I  wrote  you. 
He  mentioned  to  me  that  he  expected  to  receive  about 
six  or  seven  millions  of  francs,  and  that  he  would  also 
send  them  to  you  for  collection.  He  did  not  say  any- 
thing about  the  appropriation  of  his  commissions. 

"  General  Armstrong  thinks  from  the  result  of  the 
inquiries  he  has  made  respecting  Jerome,  that  per- 
mission has  been  given  him  to  return  with  his  wife ; 
and  that  though  she  may  not  be  immediately  recog- 
nised, she  will  ultimately,  on  his  making  the  proper 
submissions  for  engaging  himself  so  precipitately, 
without  having  obtained  the  approbation  of  his  family. 

"  At  the  solicitations  of  a  gentleman  in  Amsterdam 
who  showed  me  some  civility,  I  promised  to  send  to 
America  for  a  pipe  or  half  a  pipe  of  London-partieu- 
lar-three-years-old  wine  for  him.  Have  the  goodness 
to  send  one  in  the  spring,  of  that  kind. 

"  A  number  of  Jerome's  bills  which  were  lying  over 
have  been  accepted  within  a  few  days.  We  have  had 
a  paragraph  in  the  newspapers  taken  from  one  in  a 
New  York  paper  of  the  5th  of  December,  stating  that 
Jerome  and  his  lady  sailed  from  that  city  in  the  Presi- 
dent French  frigate,  on  the  2d  of  December." 

We  give  as  next  in  the  order  of  time  a  letter,  in 


150         THE  B ONAPAR TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RR IA  GE. 

full,  written  from  Paris  by  M.  Meyronet,  who  says  he 
is  about  to  embark  as  second  captain  of  the  frigate 
Canonniere.  It  is  addressed  on  the  cover  "  Monsieur 
Jerome  Bonaparte,  Etats  Unis  D'Amerique."  He 
does  not  beg  Jerome  to  leave  the  "young  person  "  in 
America,  and  come  alone  to  France.  Indeed  he  holds 
out  no  inducements  for  him  to  come,  but  rather  en- 
courages him  to  stay,  and  expresses  a  desire  to  be 
with  him  in  America.     Here  is  his  letter : — 

Paris,  le  18  Pluviose,  an  13. 

"  Monsieur :  II  est  probable  que  lorsque  cette  lettre  vous  par- 
viendra,  vous  aurez  recu  quelques  unes  de  mes  precedents,  et 
par  cette  raison  je  crois  superflu  de  vous  en  rappeller  leur 
eontenu.  Mais  les  derniers  ev6nements  dont  j'ai  a  vous  in- 
former me  conduisent  a  vous  repeter  combien  j'ai  ete  afllige 
de  n'etre  pas  revStu  de  toute  votre  confiance  dans  une  circon- 
stance  ou  j'aurais  pCl  faire  un  usage  bien  cher  a  mon  ame.  Je 
crains  bien  que  vous  n'ayez  pas  rencontre  ailleurs  des  dispo- 
sitions, telles  que  vous  les  aviez  supposees.  Je  dis  seulement 
je  le  crains,  sans  que  j'en  aie  pour  cela  la  preuve  ou  indice 
certain,  et  je  serais  au  desespoir  de  vous  faire  retirer  votre 
estime  de  personnes,  qui  n'auraient  point  cesse  de  la  mcriter. 
Mais,  vous  savcz  que  plusieurs  de  mes  suppositions  ce  sont  autre- 
fois realises,  et  les  evenements  semblent  justifier  un  peu  celles- 
ci.  Quoiqu'il  en  soit,  je  ne  fais  nul  doute  que  si  vous  aviez 
ete  bien  servi  comme  vous  deviez  vous  y  attendre,  tel  evene- 
ment  dont  j'ai  a  gemir  aujourd'hui  n'aurait  pas  eu  lieu. 

"  Un  deeret  imperial  declare  le  Marechal  Murat  Prince,  et 
le  nomme  Grand- Amiral.  Un  autre  d6cret  declare  M.  Eugene 
Beauharnais  Prince,  et  le  nomme  Archi-Chancelier  d'Etat  de 
l'Empire.  Je  vous  envoi e  par  une  autre  voie  une  gazette  oil 
sontces  deux  decrets,  ainsi  qu'un  troisieme  qui  nomme  soixante 
cordons  rouges.  Vous  en  recevrez  la  liste.  L' Amiral  Gon- 
teaume,  qui  commande  l'arm6e  de  Brest,  est  du  nombre,  ainsi 
que  le  Ministre  de  la  Marine. 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         151 

S.  M.  PEmpereur  a  6crit  au  roi  d'Angleterre  pour  Iui  Cairo 
des  ouvertures  de  paix  ;  ce  dernier  a  repondu  en  61ml  ant. 
Toutes  fois  les  esperances  de  paix  restent  encore. 

"Jevousprie  d'excuser  ce  brouillon.  Je  pars  a  l'instant 
pour  Cherbourg,  ou  je  dois  etre  embarqufc  en  second  Bur  la 
frigate  La  Canonniere,  qui  doit  partir  incessamment  pour  uno 
destination  qui  me  rapprochera  un  peu  de  vous.  Je  fais  dea 
vceux  pour  qu'elle  m'en  rapproche  tout-a-fait. 

11  Toute  la  famille  imperiale  se  porte  bien.  Bide,  la  Prin- 
cesse  Borghese  seule  ne  jouit  pas  d'une  parfaite  sante.  Mon- 
sieur Lucien  est  toujours,  je  crois,  en  Italic,  le  restc  de  la 
famille  a  Paris. 

"  Je  ne  sais  d6sormais  quels  vceux  je  dois  former  pour  vous  ; 
je  desire  que  vous  soyez  heureux,  et  je  le  serai  moi-iueine  de 
Papprendre. 

"  J'ai  Phonneur  de  vous  r6it6rer  les  assurances  de  mon  in- 
violable attachement  et  de  mon  respect. 

'*  Meyronet. 

"P.  S.  Permettez,  Monsieur,  que  je  salue  ici  ces  messieurs 
qui  m'ont  probablement  oublieV' 

TRANSLATION. 

"  Paris,  February  7th  1805. 
"  Sir— 

"  It  is  probable  that  when  you  receive  this 
letter,  you  may  have  received  some  of  the  preceding; 
and  for  this  reason,  I  think  it  is  unnecessary  to  re- 
mind you  of  what  they  contain.  But  the  last  events 
that  have  taken  place,  and  of  which  I  have  to  inform 
you,  lead  me  to  repeat  how  much  I  have  been  afflicted 
not  to  be  intrusted  with  all  your  confidence  in  a  cir- 
cumstance where  I  should  have  made  a  use  of  it  very 
dear  to  my  soul.  I  fear  much  you  have  not  met  else- 
where arrangements  such  as  you  had  supposed  them. 


1 52  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TT  EPSON  MARRIA  GE. 

I  say  only  that  I  fear,  without  having  any  certain 
indication ;  and  I  should  be  in  despair  to  make  you 
withdraw  your  esteem  from  persons  who  should  not 
have  ceased  to  merit  it ;  but  you  know  that  several 
of  my  suppositions  have  formerly  been  realized,  and 
the  events  seem  to  justify  my  fears.  However  it  may 
be,  I  have  no  doubt  that  if  you  had  been  as  well  treated 
as  you  had  a  right  to  expect,  such  a  result  as  I  now 
lament  would  not  have  taken  place. 

"An  imperial  decree  declares  Marshal  Murat 
Prince,  and  styles  him  Grand  Admiral.  Another 
decree  declares  M.  Eugene  Beauharnais  Prince  and 
names  him  Arch- Chancellor  of  the  state  of  the  Em- 
pire. I  send  you  by  another  way  a  newspaper  in 
which  these  two  decrees  are  inserted,  as  well  as  a  third 
one,  which  names  sixty  crosses  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor.     You  will  receive  the  list  of  them. 

"  Admiral  Gonteaume,  who  commands  the  army 
of  Brest,  is  one  of  them,  as  well  as  the  Minister  of 
Marine. 

"  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  has  written  to  the  King 
of  England  to  make  him  propositions  of  peace.  The 
latter  has  answered  in  an  elusive  manner,  yet  hopes 
of  peace  remain. 

"I  beg  you  to  excuse  this  rough  copy.  I  leave 
immediately  for  Cherbourg,  where  I  must  embark  as 
second  captain  on  the  frigate  Canonniere,  which  will 
sail  immediately  for  a  destination  which  will  bring  me 
nearer  you.  I  could  wish  that  it  would  bring  me 
altogether  to  you. 

"  All    the    Imperial    family    is    in   good    health, 


THE  BONA  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  R  R I  A  GE.         1 53 

the  Princess  Borghese  excepted.  M.  Lucien  is 
still,  I  believe,  in  Italy.  The  remainder  of  the  fam- 
ily are  in  Paris. 

"  I  do  not  know  henceforth  what  wishes  I  must 
form  for  you.  I  desire  that  you  may  be  happy,  and  shall 
be  happy  myself  to  learn  it.  I  have  the  honor  to 
present  you  the  assurance  of  my  inviolable  affection 
and  respect ;  and,  sir,  please  permit  me  here  to  greet 
those  gentlemen  who  have  probably  forgotten  me. 

Meyronet." 

Mr.  Robert  Patterson  is  still  in  Paris.  In  spite  of 
the  "signs  of  the  times"  and  the  cold  frosts  of 
"  Pluviose"  he  maintains  his  ground,  collects  facts, 
arranges  them  to  suit,  and  writes  interesting  letters 
to  his  father.  His  next  we  give  in  full,  on  account 
of  its  general  interest,  and  for  the  reason  that  it 
explains  many  things  previously  mentioned.  He 
begins : — 

"  Paris,  16th  February  1805. 

"Dear  Sir:  My  last  was  of  the  29th  ult.,  in 
original  and  duplicate,  via  Bordeaux.  I  enclose  you 
the  Holland  tariffs  for  the  last  ten  years,  by  which  I 
would  advise  your  examining  all  of  your  sales  made 
during  that  period.  If  you  find  you  have  been  over- 
charged in  duties,  as  I  suspect  will  be  the  case,  send 
the  accounts  to  me  with  the  proper  powers  to  enable 
me  to  act,  and  I  have  little  doubt  but  I  can  compel 
them  to  disgorge.  To  proceed  in  this  business  with 
most  effect,  it  would  be  well  to  inform  me,  as  nearly 
as  you  can,  at  what  time  the  different  shipments 
10 


154        THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

arrived  at  the  Texel,  that  I  may  have  recourse  to  the 
customs  books,  which  I  expect  to  accomplish  with  a 
few  douceurs,  to  ascertain  the  exact  sums  paid  in  duties 
on  the  cargoes.  If  we  fail  in  the  attempt  to  recover 
in  Holland,  we  should  undoubtedly  succeed  in  the 
United  States  by  laying  an  attachment  on  their 
lands,  provided  we  could  prove  by  documents  from 
the  custom-house  we  had  been  charged  more  in  duties 
than  was  paid. 

"  I  have  had  no  letters  for  a  long  time  from  Mcll- 
henny  and  Glennie,  so  that  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know 
with  any  degree  of  accuracy  how  our  accounts  stand. 
When  I  was  leaving  Holland,  to  prevent  their  being 
at  any  inconvenience  during  my  absence,  I  directed 
them  to  write  to  S.  &  H.  when  they  wanted  re- 
mittances on  our  account,  who  would  supply  them. 
In  conformity  to  those  instructions  they  asked  a 
remittance  from  S.  &  H.  of  .£1970  sterling,  which 
was  remitted  them  on  the  31st  of  last  January. 

"Bentalou  has  given  me  his  obligation  for  the 
money  lent  him,  with  a  kind  of  mortgage  on  his  claim 
also,  to  secure  us  in  the  event  of  any  unforeseen 
accident. 

"  The  French  tariff  has  just  undergone  a  revision. 
The  duty  on  coffee  of  the  growth  of  their  colonies  is 
75  francs  per  quintal,  but  of  the  growth  of  other 
countries  100  francs.  It  will  be  of  importance  to 
attend  to  this  in  making  shipments  to  France. 

"  I  am  still  without  an  answer  from  Rome.  When 
it  is  received  we  shall  go  on  to  Madrid  to  ascertain  if 
possible  what  will  be  required  for  the  entire  parcel. 


THE  B  0  HA  PA  Ii  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MA  RR I A  GE.  1 55 

In  possession  of  that  knowledge,  I  can  see  on  my 
return  to  Holland  whether  a  company  can  be  formed 
there  or  elsewhere  to  carry  the  operation  into  execu- 
tion. 

"  The  Rochfort  fleet,  consisting  of  five  sail  of  the 
line  and  four  frigates,  sailed  about  a  month  ago.  It 
had  four  or  five  thousand  men  on  board.  India  is 
generally  believed  to  be  its  destination.  It  is  said 
the  Brest  fleet  with  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  troops 
is  ready  to  embrace  the  first  opportunity  of  getting  to 
sea,  which  it  is  also  believed  is  intended  for  India. 
If  India  should  be  the  theatre  of  the  active  warfare 
between  England  and  France,  there  must  necessarily 
be  thrown  open  a  vast  field  for  our  commerce  in  that 
country ;  and  as  our  interest  would  be  much  promoted 
by  one  of  us  being  there,  I  am  willing,  in  case  of 
John's  returning,  and  you  think  my  exertions  will  be 
more  useful  there  than  in  Europe,  to  take  his  place. 

"  I  mentioned  in  my  last  a  report  stating  that  some 
bills  lying  over,  which  were  said  to  be  Jerome's,  were 
taken  up.  I  find  since — at  least  have  it  from  a 
tolerable  source — that  they  were  Pichon's  and  not 
Jerome's  bills.  I  cannot  learn  that  any  of  Jerome's 
are  unpaid. 

"  I  wish  to  engage  your  interest  in  behalf  of  Mr. 
O'Meally,  a  gentleman  to  whom  I  am  under  obliga- 
tions, and  for  whom  I  have  a  sincere  regard.  He 
intends  establishing  himself  at  Bordeaux,  with  a  view 
of  transacting  American  commission  business  solely, 
and  takes  with  him  about  $100,000,  a  capital  that 
will  enable  him  to  conduct  his  concerns  with  ease  to 


156         THE  B ONAPAR TE- PA TT EPSON  31 A  RRIA GE. 

himself,  and  to  afford  every  facility  and  advantage  to 
his  friends.  It  is  said  the  Consul  at  Bordeaux  has 
done  so  many  improper  things  that  there  is  little 
doubt  but  he  will  be  removed.  With  a  persuasion 
that  this  will  be  the  case,  his  friends  have  advised  his 
applying  for  the  office.  The  application  will  be  sup- 
ported by  many  respectable  characters  in  Virginia,  by 
his  Baltimore  friends,  among  which  may  be  reckoned 
Mr.  E.  Johnston  and  Mr.  MacKreary,  and  by  our 
Minister  here,  General  Armstrong.  If  you  were  to 
speak  to  W.  Nicholas  and  to  General  Smith,  and 
request  them  to  further  his  application,  I  think  they 
could,  together  with  his  friends,  secure  the  place  for 
him.  His  character  is  unimpeachable,  and  no  person 
can  in  any  respect  be  better  qualified  to  fill  the  office 
with  dignity  and  honor  to  himself  and  the  country 
than  him.  I  am  very  sure  you  will  never  have  any 
reason  to  regret  anything  you  may  do  for  him  in  this 
business. 

UT.  Lbvfxbe  a  t  informs  me  that  he  saw  a 
person  yesterday  who  mentioned  to  him  that  he  had 
just  heard  xur  Rvc — b,  say  that  it  was  his  determin- 
ation to  x  u  b  e  p  Q — r  v  a  x  e  cbofea  the  mo- 
ment of  his  arrival,  where  he  should  remain  till  he 
brchiolxri  his  p  o  m  x  and  v  lb  b  o  r  i 
another  which  he  should  designate. 

"  The  gentleman  thinks  from  the  decided  manner 
in  which  he  spoke,  that  he  will  certainly  put  his 
threats  into  execution.  L.  and  myself  are  now  of 
opinion  Q.  will  only  be  safe  by  remaining  where  he  is. 


THE  B ONAPA R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE.         157 

Be  on  your  guard  when  you  receive  advices  different 
from  other  quarters." 

To  this  letter  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  does  not  place 
his  signature.  He  evidently  has  become  alarmed  as 
to  his  own  personal  safety  in  Paris.  The  momentous 
words  of  the  Emperor  in  cipher  appear  in  a  latter 
paragraph  of  the  letter,  and  it  would  seem  that  the 
news  came  as  he  was  about  to  close.  It  appears  also 
that  the  Key  to  the  cipher  was  already  in  the  posses- 
sion of  his  father  in  Baltimore,  by  some  private  con- 
veyance. It  did  not  come  in  the  letter  copied  above. 
From  the  disguised  words  Robert  plainly  saw  what  the 
Emperor's  intentions  were,  and  was  convinced  of  the 
extreme  measures  that  would  be  resorted  to  on  the 
arrival  of  Jerome  in  France.  General  Armstrong,  it 
will  be  seen,  was  also  of  opinion  that  the  Emperor 
would  adhere  to  his  intentions  expressed  in  the  words 
which  were  tremulously  committed  to  cipher;  and  yet 
the  young  couple  are  preparing  to  embark,  the  prep- 
arations going  clandestinely  on — he  for  France  and 
she  for  Holland ;  and  the  letter  freighted  with  this 
alarming  intelligence  may  not  reach  Baltimore  before 
the  embarkation  and  the  sailing  !  What  if  it  does  ? 
Will  they  abandon  their  mad  policy? 

The  following  Key  will  admit  the  reader  to  the 
mysteries  of  the  two  latter  paragraphs  in  the  letter 
just  given,  and  perhaps  be  read  with  great  curiosity : 

A  w,  B  r,  C  p,  D  b,  Eo,  F  s,  G  c,  H  u,  I  d,  J  v, 
Kx,  La,  M/,  N  k,  0  i,  P  w,  Q  /,  Re,  S  y,  T  g, 
U  h,  V  m,  W  z,  X  t,  YZ,  Z  q. 


158  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

Using  the  above  Key  the  paragraphs  in  question  will 
read — "  General  Armstrong  informs  me  that  he  saw  a 
person  yesterday  who  mentioned  to  him  that  the 
Emperor  says  that  it  was  his  determination  to  throw 
Jerome  into  prison  the  moment  of  his  arrival,  where 
he  should  remain  till  he  repudiated  his  wife  and  mar- 
ried another  Avhich  he  should  designate." 

"  The  gentleman  thinks  from  the  decided  manner  in 
which  he  spoke,  that  he  will  certainly  put  his  threats 
into  execution.  General  Armstrong  and  myself  are 
now  of  opinion  Jerome  will  only  be  safe  by  remaining 
where  he  is.  Be  on  your  guard  when  you  receive 
advices  different  from  other  quarters." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Mr.  Robert  Patterson, 
in  a  former  letter,  mentioned  a  speculation  in  the  un- 
appropriated lands  of  East  Florida,  in  which  he 
wished  to  interest  Lucien  Bonaparte  for  himself  and 
Jerome ;  and  that  he  had  written  to  Lucien  at  Rome  on 
the  subject,  and  was  waiting  a  reply  before  his  depart- 
ure for  Madrid  to  put  the  scheme  in  operation.  It 
does  not  appear  that  Lucien  answered  the  letter,  and 
becoming  tired  of  waiting,  he  pens  the  following  letter 
to  his  father,  which  we  give  in  full,  with  its  enclosures: 

"  Paris,  5th  March  1805. 
"  Dear  Sir — The  enclosed  is  a  paragraph  that  came 
out  yesterday  in  the  Moniteur,  and  is  to-day  inserted 
in  all  the  other  papers.  The  arrival  of  the  frigate 
Le  President  was  scarcely  announced  when  this  para- 
graph appeared,  which  I  fear  has  been  occasioned  by 
something  or  other  that  our  friend  has  written  by  this 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE.  159 

vessel ;  but  whatever  may  have  been  the  cause,  you 
must  agree  with  me,  that  our  friend  ought  no  longer 
to  think  of  returning. 

"  I  expect  to  return  to  Holland  in  the  course  of 
four  or  five  weeks.  The  speculation  I  mentioned  to 
you  in  several  of  my  letters  has  been  laid  aside,  at 
least  for  the  present,  which  will  afford  you  an  oppor- 
tunity of  giving  me  your  ideas  respecting  it. 

"  The  bills  that  are  to  be  drawn  by  our  Minister  on 
the  Treasury  of  the  United  States,  are  not  yet  is- 
sued, and  I  fear  I  shall  not  be  able  to  do  anything  in 
them  either,  as  I  shall  probably  be  obliged  to  return 
to  Amsterdam  before  they  are  drawn. 

Yours  very  affectionately, 
Robert  Patterson." 

This  letter  was,  on  the  11th  of  March,  forwarded  for 
America  in  the  ship  Robereus,  with  the  annexed  en- 
closures : — 

Paris,  1 5  ventose. 

"Par  un  acte  du  11  ventose,  defense  est  faite  a  tous  officiers 
de  l'6tat  civil  de  l'Empire,  de  recevoir  sur  leurs  registres  la 
transcription  de  Facte  de  celebration  d'un  pretendu  manage 
que  M.  J6rdme  Bonaparte  auroit  contract6  en  pays  etranger, 
en  age  de  minorite,  sans  le  consentement  de  sa  mere,  et  sans 
publication  prealable  dans  le  lieu  de  son  domicile. 

(Journal  officiel.) 

"From  and  after  the  11th  of  the  present  month,  all  the 
civil  officers  of  the  Empire,  are  forbidden  to  suffer  the  trans- 
cription on  their  registers,  of  the  certificate  of  a  pretended 
marriage  which  Mr.  Jerome  Bonaparte  may  have  contracted 
in  a  foreign  country,  without  the  consent  of  his  mother,  and 
without  the  banns  thereof  being  previously  published  in  the 
place  of  his  abode.  (Moniteur.)" 


160         THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

Still  in  Paris,  and  perhaps  indulging  in  gloomy 
anticipations  on  account  of  the  unfavorable  turn 
things  have  taken,  Mr.  Patterson  again  writes  a  short 
letter  to  his  father,  from  which  we  gather  that  all  his 
hopes  of  a  reconciliation  of  the  Emperor  to  his  sis- 
ter's marriage,  have  fled  for  ever,  and  left  behind  the 
end  of  diplomacy  upon  the  subject.     He  begins : — 

"  Paris,  March  9th  1805. 

Dear  Sir — 

I  wrote  you  via  Bordeaux  and  Nantz  on  the 
5th  inst.  enclosing  a  paragraph  which  appeared  in  the 
different  newspapers  about  that  time.  D — s  ehtux 
as  ae  vrlap  x  e  g eve  xe  M — r.  0 m  fu r  pe 
liyi  d  e  mebxh  alvx  v  a  eay  s  dr  oat  fr  a  x 
d  I  g  7i.  B  r  c  eb  x  flsf  x  ulx  Y — .  p  If  I  bbr 
f  xri  I  x  v  o  y I  a  I  ai  u  r  of  a  i  p  g  e  a  m  o  a  r 
ivaxurxueyr   x  u  r  b  r." 

To  this  letter,  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson,  he  neither  affixes  his  signature  nor  his  ini- 
tials, but  closes  by  the  words  "  I  am,  &c."  On  the 
cover  is  the  direction,  "  William  Patterson,  Esquire, 
Baltimore.  Per  the  Charleston  Packet  via  Phila- 
delphia." 

Using  the  key  already  given,  the  paragraph  in 
cipher  reads  thus  :  "  Betsy  ought  by  no  means  to  come 
to  France.  If  she  were,  I  think  she  would  be  for- 
tunate in  only  being  sent  back.  Report  says  thatLu- 
cien  was  arrested  at  Milan,  and  he  is  now  confined  in 
the  thole  there." 

In  two  days,  however,  after  this  alarming  intelli- 
gence had  been   committed  to  paper,  Jerome   and  his 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  161 

wife  were  on  the  deep  in  spite  of  all  warning  !  The 
ship's  "gallant  prow"  was  pressing  on  towards  Eu- 
rope, inspiring  Jerome  with  the  soul-stirring  sen- 
timent, "  Land  of  my  birth,  I  shall  greet  thee  again." 
Betsy,  if  we  may  credit  the  language  of  the  strange 
writer  from  Lille,  had  "  drawn  a  prize  which  most  of 
her  sex  covet,"  yet  its  possession  was,  we  imagine, 
already  giving  her  sorrow.  She  was  bidding  farewell 
to  her  native  land  and  to  the  companions  of  her 
youth,  in  a  manner  that  made  secrecy  necessary  in 
order  to  her  safety  ;  for  British  cruisers  in  American 
waters  were  bent  on  the  capture  of  her  husband. 
She  had  exchanged  the  comforts  of  an  affluent  home 
in  America  for  the  privations  of  a  long  period  of 
anxiety,  pain  and  sorrow,  in  a  strange  land. 

On  the  morning  of  the  11th  of  March  1805,  ere 
gray  twilight  had  completely  yielded  to  the  light  of 
day,  or  the  dragon  of  night  fairly  departed,  the  young 
couple  stood  on  a  wharf  in  Baltimore.  The  land 
secretly  and  tearfully  gave  up  its  charge,  and  the 
ship  moved  off;  she  passed  the  fortifications  in  the 
river,  and  not  a  ripple  was  heard  ;  she  passed  the 
capes  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  the  sea,  sadly  smiling, 
received  the  precious  sail ! 

Perhaps  she  passed  in  mid-ocean,  within  hailing 
distance,  the  ship  which  bore  the  letter  in  cipher  to 
Betsy  !  Both,  however,  were  unconscious  of  its  exist- 
ence, and  they  ploughed  along  on  the  "  highway  of  na- 
tions" toward  their  respective  destinations.  The  ship 
bearing  the  letter  reached  America,  and  the  good  ship 
Erin,  bearing  the  young  couple,  reached  Spain,  and 
there  for  the  present  we  leave  them. 


162  THE  BONA  PA  It  TE-  P.  A  T  TEES  ON  MA  RRIA  GE. 

As  previously  stated,  the  young  couple  sailed  on 
the  11th  of  March ;  and  as  quietly  as  the  circum- 
stances of  the  embarkation  and  sailing  were  con- 
ducted,  General  Tuerreau,  the  French  Minister  in 
Washington,  in  spite  of  bad  roads  and  rickety  stage- 
coaches, had  the  news  on  the  13th.  He  writes  to  Mr. 
Patterson  in  Baltimore,  and  we  copy  his  original  in 
full  :— 

"Washington  City,  March  *3thl805. 

"  Sir — About  four  or  five  days  ago,  I  did  myself 
the  honor  to  write  to  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte,  entreat- 
ing the  favor  of  him  to  offer  you  my  sincere  thanks 
for  the  wine  you  gave  Mr.  Carriere  to  be  sent  to  me. 
I  understand  that  M.  Bonaparte  left  Baltimore  on 
Sunday  last ;  and  being  uncertain  of  his  having 
received  my  letter  before  his  departure,  I,  with 
pleasure,  tender  you  my  acknowledgments  for  the 
said  wine. 

"  I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  inquire  of 
you,  sir,  whether  M.  Jerome  Bonaparte  had  left  his 
four  carriage  horses  with  you,  and  whether  he  begged 
you  to  dispose  of  them.  I  should  in  this  case  be  will- 
ing to  purchase  them  of  you,  sir ;  and  take  it  as  a 
favor  would  you  be  so  kind  as  to  acquaint  me  with 
your  intentions. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  with  regard, 
"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"  Tuerreau, 

u  French  Minister. 

"Mr:  Patterson.' 

This  letter  was  written  in  English,  and  signed  by 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  163 

the  Minister  -with  his  own  hand.     We  have  given  a 
verbatim  copy. 

On  Sunday  the  17th  of  March  1804,  Mr.  Patterson 
writes  his  reply  to  the  above,  and  we  give  below  a 
copy  of  his  letter,  word  for  word  : — 

"  Baltimore,  17th  March  1805. 

"  Sir — I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  the  letter 
you  were  pleased  to  address  me  of  the  13th  current, 
and  was  happy  that  the  two  cases  claret  delivered  Mr. 
Carriere  for  your  use  have  met  your  approbation.  I 
would  not  have  taken  the  liberty  of  offering  them  in 
the  manner  I  did  to  Mr.  Carriere  had  he  been  able  to 
procure  the  kind  he  wanted  by  purchase ;  but  knowing 
there  was  none  of  that  quality  for  sale,  induced  me  to 
spare  you  a  part  of  what  I  had  imported  for  my  own 
use  ;  and  having  still  more  than  a  sufficient  supply  for 
my  own  purposes,  should  you,  on  trial,  like  the  quality 
of  the  wine,  I  shall  be  happy  to  furnish  you  with  two 
cases  more. 

"Mr.  Bonaparte  left  instructions  with  me  not  to 
dispose  of  his  horses  until  I  heard  from  him  after  his 
arrival  in  Europe.  Of  course  it  is  out  of  my  power 
at  present  to  make  you  an  oifer  of  them  on  any  terms ; 
otherwise,  it  would  have  afforded  me  much  pleasure  to 
Irtve  given  them  to  you  in  preference  to  other  appli- 
cants, and  more  especially  as  the  horses  are  very  fine 
and  valuable. 

"  Mr.  Bonaparte  got  under  way  from  our  harbor  at 
8  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Monday  last,  and  went  to 
sea  the  next  morning  at  9  o'clock,  with  a  remarkably 
fine  wind  which  lasted  for  three  days  ;  so  that  I  hope 


164         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

and  pray  he  will  reach  his  port  of  destination  in 
safety.  I  am  concerned  however  to  find  that  a  British 
sloop  of  war  sailed  from  the  harbor  of  New  York  last 
Sunday  morning,  said  to  be  bound  for  Bermuda ;  but 
I  have  little  doubts  her  real  intentions  were  to  inter- 
cept the  vessel  in  which  Mr.  Bonaparte  was  embarked. 
It  was  not  unknown  to  Mr.  Bonaparte  and  the  master 
of  the  vessel,  that  such  a  British  vessel  lay  at  New 
New  York,  and  the  probability  of  her  coming  out  to 
try  to  intercept  them.  They  were  therefore  on  their 
guard  ;  and  as  the  vessel  in  which  they  embarked  was 
only  in  a  set  of  ballast,  and  reputed  one  of  the  fastest 
sailers  belonging  to  our  port,  there  is  little  or  no 
danger  of  his  going  clear. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect,  sir, 
"  Your  most  humble  servant, 

"  William  Patterson. 
"  His  Excellency  General  Tuerreau,  Washington." 
On  Jerome's  second  day  at  sea,  General  Bewbell  of 
Paris  writes  him  a  letter  which  he  never  received.  It 
also  may  have  passed  him  in  mid-ocean,  and  reached 
America  about  the  time  he  landed  in  Spain.  We 
allow  the  general  to  speak  for  himself  in  his  own 
language : 

"  Paris,  le  24  Ventose,  an  13. 
"  Monsieur :  J'ai  eu  l'honneur  de  vous  ecrire,  et  de  vous 
t6moigner  combien  j' avals  et6  afflige  en  apprenant  par  Meyronet 
tous  les  details  do  votre  naufrage;  une  lettre  que  je  viens  de 
ir  de  Mr.  Pascault  en  me  les  confirmant,  m'apprend  en 
outre  que  vous  gtes  malade.  Personne,  Monsieur,  ne  s'intercsse 
plus  vivement  a  vous  que  moi,  et  cette  derniere  nouvelle  me 
causa  un  chagrin  reel.     Je  passerai  ce  matin  chez  M.  Patter- 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  165 

son  pour  le  prier  de  vous  faire  parvenir  cette  lettre.  J'esperc 
qu'il  aura  des  choses  plus  consolantes  a  me  dire  sur  l'etat  de 
votre  sante. 

;>  Meyronet  est  parti ;  je  d6sire  qu'il  ait  6t6  vous  rejoiudre ; 
c'est  un  homme  sur  lequel  vous  pouvez  compter,  et  qui  vous 
est  tout  devoue. 

u  S.  M.  rimperatrice  a  fait  obtenir  a  Monsieur  de  Mauper- 
tuis  le  consulat  de  Rotterdam  ;  Ton  assure  que  cette  place 
vaut  dans  ce  moment  passe  cent  mille  francs.  Je  me  plais  a 
croire  que  M.  de  Maupertuis  vous  est  aussi  attache-  que  Mey- 
ronet. Je  voudrais  vous  parler  avec  la  confiance  quo  je  vous 
dois,  et  qu'on  ne  peut  s'empecher  d'avoir  pour  un  cceur  comme 
le  votre  ;  mais  cela  devient  impossible  dans  les  circonstances 
actuelles. 

"Puisse-je  avoir  l'honneur  de  vous  faire  bientot  ma  cour ! 
Vous  n'gtes  pas  fait  pour  vieillir  en  Am6rique.  Malgre'  tout 
ce  qui  se  passe  Mde.  R.  espere  avoir  1'a-v.antage  de  voir  Ma- 
dame J.  B.  dans  ce  pays-ci.  Je  me  joins  a  celle  en  pensees  et 
en  desirs.  Veuillez  nous  rappeller  a  son  souvenir,  et  croire, 
Monsieur,  que  je  ne  cesserai  en  aucunes  occasions  de  ma  vie 
de  vous  §tes  attach^  avec  la  plus  tendre  et  la  plus  res.pectueuse 
reconnaissance. 

u  Votre  tout  devoue-  serviteur, 

"Retvbell." 

TRANSLATION. 

"  Paris,  March  14 tt  1805. 
"  Sir :  I  have  had  the  honor  to  write  to  you  and  to 
testify  how  much  I  have  been  afflicted  on  learning 
from  Meyronet  all  the  particulars  of  your  shipwreck. 
I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  M.  Pascault  con- 
firming these  reports,  and  informing  me  also  that  you 
have  been  sick.  No  one,  sir,  takes  more  interest  in 
your  welfare  than  I,  and  this  last  news  has  caused 
me  a  great  deal  of  real  sorrow.     I  will  go  this  morn- 


166  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

ing  to  Mr.  Patterson  to  request  him  to  send  you  this 
letter.  I  hope  he  will  have  something  more  satisfac- 
tory to  tell  me  concerning  the  state  of  your  health. 

"  Meyronet  is  gone.  I  wish  he  would  rejoin  you. 
He  is  a  man  on  whom  you  can  depend,  and  he  is 
entirely  devoted  to  you. 

"  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  has  obtained  the  con- 
sulship of  Rotterdam  for  M.  de~  Maupertuis.  People 
say  this  situation  is  now  worth  more  than  a  hundred 
thousand  francs  a  year. 

"  I  am  happy  in  believing  that  M.  de  Maupertuis  is 
as  much  devoted  to  you  as  Meyronet.  I  would  like  to 
speak  to  you  with  the  confidence  which  I  oWe  you,  and 
which  it  is  impossible  not  to  have  for  a  heart  like  yours  ; 
but  this  becomes  impossible  in  the  present  circum- 
stances. I  hope  I  shall  soon  have  the  honor  to  pay  you 
my  homage.  You  are  not  made  to  grow  old  in  America. 
In  spite  of  what  is  taking  place,  Mrs.  Rewbell  hopes 
to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mrs.  Bonaparte  in  this 
country.  I  join  with  her  in  thoughts  and  desires. 
Be  kind  enough  to  remember  us,  and  believe,  sir,  I 
will  never  cease  on  any  occasion  of  my  life  to  be  de- 
voted to  you  with  the  most  tender  and  the  most 
respectful  gratefulness.     Your  all-devoted  servant, 

Rewbell." 

We  close  this  chapter  by  giving  two  extracts  from 
letters  written  to  Mr.  Patterson  in  Baltimore  by 
Jonathan  Jones  of  Bordeaux.  Under  date  of  24th 
February  1805  he  writes :  "  I  have  lately  forwarded 
you  several  letters  via  New  York,  without  the  least 
observation  made  thereon,  though  particularly  recom- 


THE  DON AP All TE-PA  TTERSOX  MA RRIA GE.         167 

mended  by  me  to  the  captain's  care,  and  as  I  had 
some  responsibility  therein,  beg  you  to  be  so  obliging 
as  to  advise  me  in  course  if  such  letters  get  safe  to 
hand.  They  went  by  the  brig  Georgia  [unfortunately 
lost)  that  sailed  the  24th  of  January  from  Bordeaux, 
and  was  driven  ashore  at  the  entrance  of  the  river. 
The  captain  had  two  bags  of  letters,  one  of  which  was 
saved  that  I  had  sealed  up,  and  the  bag  was  sent  on 
by  the  brig  New  York.  You  had  better  send  your 
orders  to  some  confidential  friend  at  New  York  to 
detain  yours,  for  many  of  the  letters  were  opened  on 
account  of  their  being  wet  with  sea-water." 

On  theH7th  of  March  he  writes  again:  "Here 
enclosed  you  will  please  receive  two  letters  that  came 
to  hand  two  days  since  with  a  desire  to  send  both  by 
some  occasion,  as  well  as  the  Gazette  herewith, 
that  gives  me  infinite  pain  from  the  warm  friendship 
I  take  in  all  that  interests  you." 

The  Bordeaux  Gazette,  to  which  this  last  para- 
graph refers,  contained  the  article  of  the  "  13th 
Yentose,"  relating  to  "the  pretended  marriage"  of 
Jerome,  which  "  he  may  have  contracted  in  a  foreign 
country." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Young  couple  on  the  sea ! — Robert  Patterson  in  Paris — Gen- 
ral  Iiewbell— The  Erin  safe— Sad  news  in  cipher— Storms  of 
wit— Deception  "all  the  go"— Nineteen  days  at  sea— Blue 
hills  of  Portugal — Letter  from  Bonaparte — "  Sea-sick  never 
kills  nobody" — Foreign  gossip — Letters  in  cipher — The  cipher 
changed  — Gossip  in  Boston  — The  "Columbian  Centinel" 
irate — The  Bonapartes  lampooned— Letters  of  Dacres  pub 
lished — Philadelphia  and  the  Moniieur — Bentalou  and  Skip 
with — Mr.  Livingston's  treaty — ''  Bills" — Another  letter  from 
Lille — Affairs  in  Holland — Mr.  Schimmelpenninck — Madame 
Bonaparte  not  allowed  to  land  in  Holland — Sylv%ius  Bourne 
pleads  her  cause — She  is  placed  under  guns — Mr.  Bourne's 
letter — Gossip  in  London — Madame  Bonaparte  goes  there — 
Jerome  and  Le  Camus  at  Genoa. 

No  news  has  yet  arrived  from  the  young  couple  on 
the  sea.  Another  letter  from  the  bride's  brother  has 
probably  passed  them  on  its  voyage  to  America.  Mr. 
Patterson  still  in  Paris,  writes  a  letter,  mostly  of  a 
business  character,  to  his  father,  and  wTe  copy  from  it 
the  following  paragraphs. 

Dating  Paris,  March  17,  1805,  he  says, 

"Dear  Sir: — My  last  was  of  the  9th  inst.,  and  I 
am  still  without  any  of  your  letters. 

"  It  is  my  intention  to  set  out  in  the  course  of  two 
or  three  days  for  Nantz  and  Bordeaux,  from  there  to 
Marseilles,  then  to  Lyons,  and  return  to  Holland, 
without  passing  this  place  again.  I  shall  probably  be 
in  Amsterdam  in  the  course  of  six  weeks,  perhaps 
sooner.    When  Bentalou  gets  his  bills,  he  will  transmit 

(168) 


THE  B  OXA  PA R  TE-  PA  TTE RSON  MA  RRIA  GE.  169 

them  to  me  to  be  forwarded  to  you,  on  his  doing  which 
I  will  return  him  his  obligation  ;  and  will  let  him  have 
something  more  on  account  of  them. 

"  Mr.  Skipwith  has  some  idea  of  going  himself  to 
the  United  States  with  his  bills ;  but  if  he  does  not, 
which  is  by  far  the  most  probable,  he  will  send  them 
to  you  for  collection.  I  mentioned  to  you  his  having 
expressed  a  wish  to  have  his  commissions,  in  the  event 
of  his  sending  his  bills  to  you,  paid  to  him  here  at  the 
rate  of  108  sous  per  dollar,  which  is  par,  twelve 
months  after  he  hands  me  the  bills.  As  it  will  be  the 
means  of  your  getting  your  money  home  without  the  loss 
that  has  latterly  attended  the  drawing  in  Europe,  it 
would  certainly  be  an  advantageous  arrangement  for 
us :  and  if  he  thinks  seriously  of  the  plan,  I  shall 
have  no  hesitation  in  entering  into  it  on  the  terms  I 
have  stated,  with  this  proviso,  that  the  money  is  only 
to  be  paid  after  we  know  of  the  bills  being  paid  in  the 
United  States.  His  commissions  amount  to  about 
$80,000. 

"  The  enclosed  letter  is  from  General  Rewbell.  I 
do  not  see  the  least  reason  to  change  the  opinion 
given  you  before,  that  the  only  chance  left' to  Jerome 
to  bring  his  affair  to  a  fortunate  issue,  is  by  his 
remaining  in  the  United  States.  If  he  were  to  come 
out  I  suspect  he  would  be  very  far  from  finding  a  cor- 
dial reception.  I  shall  write  you  more  particularly 
and  fully  from  Bordeaux." 

The  reader  will  discover  that  General  Rewbell's 
letter  came  as  an  enclosure  in  Mr.  Patterson's  letter 
11 


170        THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

just  quoted,  but  it  was  published  in  the  last  chapter, 
in  the  order  of  time. 

Fearing  that  ladies  may  grow  tired  of  the  historical 
and  commercial  part  of  the  correspondence,  we  will 
lay  before  them  something  perhaps  more  suited  to 
their  tastes.  From  Mr.  Patterson,  now  in  Bordeaux, 
we  have  another  cipher  letter,  intended  as  a  warning 
to  the  young  couple,  now  far  out  on  the  trackless 
ocean,  in  sight  of  nothing  save  billow  and  sky.  This 
letter,  on  its  way  to  Baltimore,  will  pass  them  nearer 
the  rock-bound  coasts  of  Europe  than  mid-ocean,  but 
will  remain  the  custodian  of  its  dreadful  secrets ;  and 
the  unconscious  vessels  will  plough  on  as  the  thought- 
less messengers  of  grief. 

The  young  couple  are  safe  on  the  bosom  of  ocean. 
The  noble  Erin  has  gallantly  carried  her  unusual 
freight,  and  auspicious  winds  will  soon  bring  her  in 
sight  of  land. 

But  to  return  to  Mr.  Patterson's  letter.  Dating 
"  Bordeaux,  31st  March  1805,"  he  writes  to  his  father 
under  the  impression  that  Jerome  and  his  wife  are 
still  in  Baltimore  : — 

"  Dear  sir,"  writes  he  in  original  and  duplicate,  "  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  writing  you  on  the  17th  inst.  from 
Paris,  enclosing  you  a  letter  from  General  Rewbell  for 
Jerome,  which  was  forwarded  from  here  by  a  schooner 
bound  to  Baltimore. 

"  I  had  thought  for  a  long  time  that  the  Emperor's 
being  dissatisfied  with  Jerome's  marriage  proceeded 
merely  from  the  pique  of  the  moment,  which  I  hoped 
he  would  soon  have  got  over ;  but  from  what  General 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  171 

Armstrong  has  been  able  to  learn,  and  by  what  I  have 
heard  from  other  quarters,  it  seems  that  this  uncon- 
ciliatory  disposition  of  the  Emperor  is  kept  alive  and 
meuvraxri  by  the  oaxbathrfofa,  c  lb  x 
of  the  m  Iv  o  y  8  .  The  R  —  ff  and  the  c  b  o  a  g  - 
rff  r  f .  Y —  ,  and  R  y  o  f  I  are  not  m  l  j  e  b  - 
I  d  y  s  iofcefri  xeplbifQ  —  .  His 
dbexurbf,  with  the  exception  of  Y —  a  ,  take 
probably  but  little  v  a  x  r  b  r  f  x  in  his  d  r  ul  y  m. 
The  mother,  I  believe,  is  really  desirous  of  appeasing 
the  Emperor  and  to  recognise  the  marriage.  I  am 
afraid  however  that  her  good  dispositions  "will  be  of  no 
avail,  as  she  is  not  supposed  to  have  much  influence 
over  him.  M — ,  you  know,  has  a  handsome  appoint- 
ment, and  the  Empress,  who  is  his  relation,  has  made 
him  several  presents  as  testimonies  of  her  regard.  He 
shows  all  Jerome's  letters  to  the  Empress,  and  one  or 
two  of  them  he  mentions  as  having  sent  to  the  Empe- 
ror. He  is  not  considered  a  man  that  can  be  de- 
pended upon,  but  one  who  will  adhere  to  his  friend 
whilst  it  is  convenient.  Though  we  cannot  confide  in 
him,  it  is  unnecessary  to  discover  our  mistrust  of  him. 
"  If  Jerome  were  to  arrive  he  would  undoubtedly 
begeamoari,  and  till  he  should  g  e  r  c  y  8  with 
whatever  the  R —  might  direct ;  and  if  his  wife  should 
come  out,  and  I  must  repeat,  I  should  consider  her 
fortunate  in  e  ay  s  being  fr  ax  dig  n  to  the  United 
States.  He  may  possibly,  on  showing  a  reluctance  to 
return,  be  demanded  of  the  American  government  as 
an  officer  in  the  Navy,  which  demand  could  scarcely 
be  complied  with  if  he  chooses  to  throw  up  his  com- 
mission.    There  is  not  much  to  be  apprehended  on 


1 72          THE  B  ONAPARTE-PA  TTERSON  MAURI  A  GE. 

the  score  of  fhc  cy  o  rf.  Their  choir  is  a  suffi- 
cient guarantee  against  any  inconvenience  of  that  na- 
ture. They  have  been  informed  of  the  consequences 
that  might  attend  doy  yf  brxhbaoat  c  b  exrf 
x  r  i.  It  might  be  a  disadvantage  for  your  a  Iv  r  to 
I  c  c  rib  e  a  las  of  them.  The  reports  of  the  Iff  I 
ff  o  a  I  x  o  e  a  ovgeamvarvrax  of  Y — A  are 
not  confirmed,  and  are  most  probably  unfounded. 
The  bore  circumstance,  however,  of  their  being  consid- 
ered possible  shows  a  ylvraxldyr  ircbljoxs 
of  v  e  b  lyf." 

To  this  letter  Mr.  Patterson  adds  his  initials  only. 
The  paragraphs  in  cipher  read  thus — "  This  uncon- 
ciliatory  disposition  is  kept  alive  and  fomented  by  the 
intrigues  of  a  'part  of  the  family.  The  Empress,  and 
the  princesses ;  Lucien  and  Elisa,  are  not  favorably 
disposed  towards  Jerome.  His  brothers,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Lucien,  take  probably  but  little  interest  in 
his  behalf.'' 

"  If  Jerome  were  to  arrive,  he  would  undoubtedly 
be  confined,  and  till  he  should  comply  with  whatever 
the  Emperor  might  direct ;  and*  if  his  wife  should  come 
out,  I  must  repeat,  I  should  consider  her  fortunate 
in  only  being  sent  bach  to  the  United  States." 

"  They  have  been  informed  of  the  consequences  that 
might  attend  bills  returning  protested.  It  might  be  a 
disadvantage  for  your  name  to  appear  on  any  of  them. 
The  reports  of  the  assassination  or  confinement  of  Lu- 
cien are  not  confirmed.  The  bare  circumstance  how- 
ever of  their  being  considered  possible  shows  a  lament- 
able depravity  of  morals" 

"  M — ,"  appearing  in  the  preceding  letter,  refers  to 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.        173 

Maupertuis  the  French  Consul  at  Rotterdam ;  and  it 
is  somewhat  singular  that  Mr.  Patterson  always  dis- 
guises his  name  in  the  correspondence.  He  finds  that 
Maupertuis  is  "  not  considered  a  man  that  can  be  de- 
pended upon,"  and  perhaps  the  3000  francs  loaned 
him  as  part  of  his  out-fit  for  Rotterdam,  have  gone 
where  the  "woodbine  twineth."  In  this  letter,  as 
given  above,  the  full  face  of  deception  is  unmasked, 
even  that  of  Lucien  also,  who  in  the  beginning  of 
diplomacy  uppn  this  subject  was  described  as  "  a  firm 
and  decided  character.  On  all  occasions,  he  thinks 
and  acts  independently.  On  this  one  he  nobly  and 
candidly  uttered  what  he  thought."     Did  he? 

Down  to  this  time,  March  31st,  the  reader  will, 
remember  that  the  young  couple  have  been  nineteen 
days  on  the  sea,  and  no  accounts  of  their  voyage  ap- 
pear. By  this  time  they  should  be  in  sight  of  the 
calm  blue  hills  on  the  shore  of  Portugal.  They  may 
have  partaken  of  "  fresh  provisions"  at  St.  Croix  de 
TeneriiFe,  if  the  good  ship  Erin  has  been  favored.  If 
she  has,  or  even  has  not  been  favored,  what  a  fame 
will  she  earn  for  herself !  It  will  eclipse  that  of  the 
fairest  of  the  argosies  that  swarmed  the  ancient  ocean, 
or  flitted  before  the  imagination  of  the  wildest  poet. 
She  will  be  classed  among  the  real  heroines  of  the 
white-bannered  battalions  of  the  sea,  and  the  canvas 
will  record  her  precious  memory. 

Before  the  appearance  on  the  path  of  gossip,  that 
unlicensed  peddler  of  paragraphs,  we  will  favor  the 
lady,  into  whose  hands  this  book  may  come,  with  the 
reading  of  the  first  letter  from  the  young  couple, 
written  by  Jerome's  own  hand,  and  in  his  own  Eng- 


174         THE  B ONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE. 

lish.  It  was  directed  to  "  Mr.  William  Patterson, 
Baltimore,"  in  the  handwriting  of  the  young  Madame 
Bonaparte  herself,  and  we  give  below  a  verbatim 
copy. 

"  On  Board  of  the  Erin, 

the  2d 'April  1805. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  writing  to  you,  dear  father, 
from  the  arbous  of  Lisbon  where  we  arrive  this  morn- 
ing the  21st  day  of  our  departure  from  Cape  Henry. 
We  shall  be  obliged  to  perform  a  qua^ntine  of  16 
days,  but  I  have  already  found  the  way  for  not  doing 
it,  and  in  three  days  I  shall  be  ready  to  proceed  on 
my  Long,  monotonne,  and  fatiguing  journey.  My 
feelings  for  you,  my  second  mother,  and  all  your  good 
family  are  very  well  known  to  you,  and  it  is  easier 
for  me  to  feel  them  than  to  express  them.  I  have 
left  one  of  my  family  and  will  be  soon  among  the 
other,  But  the  pleasure  and  the  satisfaction  of  being 
in  my  first  will  never  make  me  forgot  my  second. 

"  My  dear  wife  has  fortunately  supported  the 
fatigues  of  our  voyage  perfectly  well.  She  has  been 
very  sick,  but  you  know  as  well  as  any  body  that  sea- 
sick never  has  killed  no  body. 

"  I  pray  you,  dear  father,  to  do  not  forget  me  near 
my  friends,  and  particularly  General  and  Mrs.  Smith 
and  family,  Nancy,  Dallas,  and  Dr.  McHenry,  and 
remember  that  you  solemnly  promised  me  to  never 
show  my  letters,  and  to  burn  them  after  having  read 
it.  B." 

This  letter  is  signed  B.  only ;  and  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Mr.  Patterson,  father  of  Madame  Bona- 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.        175 

parte,  it  is  endorsed,  "Bonaparte,  Lisbon,  April  1805 
— received  loth  May." 

From  Jerome's  letter,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  ship, 
with  himself  and  wife,  arrived  at  Lisbon,  the  capital 
city  of  Portugal,  on  the  2d  of  April  1805.  On  the 
14th,  the  Lisbon  papers  had  it  that  "  Jerome  Bona- 
parte, after  having  been  jive  days  under  quarantine, 
landed  and  received  visits  from  the  Spanish  ambassa- 
dor, and  others  of  the  corps  diplomatique  in  friendship 
with  France." 

On  the  2d  of  May,  it  was  published  at  Greenock 
that  "  a  Lisbon  mail  arrived  on  Thursday  per  the 
Walsingham  packet.  Jerome  Bonaparte  had  set  out 
for  France,  and  his  lady  and  her  brother  by  sea  for 
Amsterdam."  This  was  William  Patterson,  Jun. 
Jerome  set  out  for  the  city  of  Artesian  wells,  and  the 
lair  of  the  lion  which  he  must  soon  encounter ;  but 
his  wife,  delicate,  fatigued,  and  dishonored,  bids  a 
final  farewell  to  her  husband  at  Lisbon,  and  that  hour 
of  parting  becomes  also  the  hour  of  a  final  forsaking, 
and  she  must  finish  her  journeyings  on  earth  alone. 

Still  in  Bordeaux,  Mr.  Robert  Patterson,  seriously 
operated  upon  by  fear  from  some  quarter,  writes  the 
following  letter  to  his  father,  even  disguising  in  cipher 
the  initials  of  his  name  ;  and  then  changing  the  cipher 
itself !     We  copy  the  letter  in  full : — 

"  Bordeaux,  11th  April  1805. 

"  Dear  Sir — The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter 

I  received  from  B u  by  yesterday's   post :     'I 

have  been  told,  and  assured  that  the  information  may 
be  relied  on  as  coming  from  a  correct  source,  that  x  ur 


176         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

vexurlulffloi  xul  x  If  fur  br  gr  o  - 
j  r  i  I  yrxxrl  m  b  e  v  Q —  r  xr  y  o  at  ur  b 
x  ul  x  rn  o  ar  o  a  t  uof  vlbboltr  fe  vhgu 
ioflccbejri  urplfpoyyoat  xe  uljr 
vx  ioffeyjri  fur  y  e  af  r  ax  r  i  xe  xur 
ylxr    chdyoglxoea.' 

"  I  do  not  know  how  he  gets  his  information,  but  as 
he  sometimes  gives  credit  to  reports  without  consid- 
ering them  sufficiently,  I  think  it  highly  probable  that 
what  he  states  will  prove  unfounded.  B.  C. 

"  N.  B.  I  will  write  you  in  the  following  cipher 
when  there  is  anything  material  to  communicate : — 

abcde  fgh  ij  kl  mnopqrs  t  uvwxyz 
g  k  np  8  u  a  d  r  v  z  b  w  h  y  mxc  j  I  o  i  t  f  q  V 

B u,  in  the   above   letter,  stands  for  Bentalou; 

and  the  extract  from  his  letter,  using  the  former  Key, 
reads  thus :  "  I  have  been  told  and  assured  the 
information  may  be  relied  on  as  coming  from  a  correct 
source  that  the  mother  has  said  that,  as  she  received  a 
letter  from  Jerome  telling  her  that,  finding  his  mar- 
riage so  much  disapproved,  he  was  willing  to  have  it 
dissolved,  she  consented  to  the  late  publication." 

On  reference  to  the  first  Key  to  cipher,  in  a  former 
part  of  this  book,  the  reader  will  discover  that  the 
initials  B.  C,  appended  to  the  above  letter,  represent 
.R.  P.,  or  Robert  Patterson. 

This  is  the  last  letter  Mr.  Patterson  writes  from 
Bordeaux.  Soon  after  the  writing,  he  appears  to 
have  departed  for  Paris  without  hearing  of  the  arrival 
of  the  young  couple,  and  William  Patterson  Junior, 
his  brother,  in  Portugal.     For  the.  present  we  leave 


THE  B  OX  A  PAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIAGE.         177 

Jerome  on  the  overland  route  from  Lisbon  to  Paris, 
which  he  probably  took,  and  Mr.  Patterson  and  his 
sister  in  the  Erin,  Captain  Stephenson,  on  their  voy- 
age to  Amsterdam ;  and  we  will  hear  no  more  of  them 
until  they  arrive  at  their  respective  destinations. 

The  paragraph  from  Mr.  Bentalou's  letter  addressed 
to  Mr.  Robert  Patterson,  and  by  him  transmitted  in 
cipher  to  his  father  in  Baltimore,  fully  unmasks  the 
mother  of  Jerome  also,  and  the  demon  of  deception, 
fully  denuded,  stands  forth  as  the  ruling  genius  of  the 
Bonaparte  family. 

Leaving  affairs  in  Europe  to  the  control  of  circum- 
stances, the  kind  reader  will  please  return  with  us  to 
America,  and  we  will  land  in  Boston,  where  we  breathe 
a  pure  atmosphere  among  real  people. 

The  editor  of  the  "  Columbian  Centinel,"  published 
in  that  city,  becoming  irate  upon  the  subject,  handles 
the  Bonapartes  in  the  following  careless  manner. 
Referring  to  the  letter  of  M.  Dacres  to  Jerome,  he 
says  in  his  issue  of  the  3d  of  April  1805 : — 

"  The  real  character  of  man  may  perhaps  be  more 
justly  appreciated  by  his  private  sentiments  and 
actions  than  by  his  public ;  in  the  former,  he  is  less 
prepared  and  more  off  his  guard ;  he  has  fewer  mo- 
tives for  disguising  or  checking  the  emotions  of  his 
heart ;  his  nature,  if  we  may  be  allowed  the  expres- 
sion, is  more  undressed  than  in  public,  where  the  con- 
viction that  all  eyes  are  fixed  upon  him,  that  every 
feature,  and  look,  and  gesture  is  weighed  and  watched, 
gives  to  his  manners  a  constrained  and  studied  air, 
and  makes  him  more  the  child  of  art  than  of  nature. 


178         THE  B  ON  A  PARTE- PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

"  This  letter  affords  more  insight  into  the  character 
of  Bonaparte  than  we  could  gain  from  his  public 
actions ;  it  contains  the  expression  of  his  undisguised 
sentiments  and  feelings  in  private  and  in  confidence. 
What  a  cold  unfeeling  heart !  How  severe,  unbending, 
and  unforgiving  !  occupied  solely  by  ambition  and  the 
love  of  power,  valuing  only  the  ties  of  family  and 
blood,  as  they  contribute  to  the  gratification  of  his 
master  passion,  and  the  accomplishment  of  his  ambi- 
tions desires  !  '  Whatever  is  foreign  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  great  designs,  seems  to  him  treason  against 
Ms  high  destiny,'  says  M.  Dacres,  and  tells  his  Brother 
that  he  knows  him  better  than  he  does.  *  I  will  re- 
ceive Jerome,  if,  leaving  in  America  the  young  person 
in  question  (his  innocent  and  virtuous  wife),  he  shall 
come  hither  to  associate  himself  to  my  fortune.' 
1  Consider,'  says  the  Minister  to  M.  Jerome,  'that 
you  have  as  yet  done  nothing  for  Mm.'  Of  natural 
affection,  the  Minister  candidly  confesses  that  he  is 
utterly  devoid.  '  In  vain,  availing  myself  of  the 
freedom  which  the  First  Consul  permits  in  domestic 
privacy,  did  I  wish  to  make  the  voice  of  natural 
affection  be  heard.  I  became  sensible  from  his  con- 
versation, that  he  neither  felt,  nor  was  liable  to  feel, 
any  pliancy  of  that  kind.'  A  stranger,  unacquainted 
with  the  character  of  Bonaparte,  might  be  led  to  sus- 
pect, upon  hearing  his  repugnance  to  the  marriage 
entered  into  by  his  brother,  that  that  brother  had 
married  a  lady  of  low  origin,  and  that  she  formed  a  \ 
distressing  contrast  to  other  marriages  that  had  been  ' 
entered  into  by  the  family — a  contrast  indeed !  the 
contrast  which  virtue  affords  to  vice !     Is  it  possible 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         179 


that  Bonaparte  could  have  been  blinded  to  this  truth, 
that  every  rebuke  he  uttered  against  his  brother  was 
ten  times  more  applicable  to  himself?  to  himself  who 
evinced  the  most  disgusting  indelicacy  and  immorality 
in  the  union  he  had  formed,  a  union  in  which  every 
feeling  most  congenial  to  the  heart  was  violated,  and 
which  was  entered  into  for  the  sole  purpose  of  grati- 
fying his  thirst  of  ambition  and  dominion.  And 
Joseph  Bonaparte  !  was  his  wife  of  superior  rank  and 
virtue  to  the  wife  of  Jerome  ?  Lucien  appears  to  be 
under  the  same  ban  and  anathema  as  Jerome !  He 
has  been  banished  from  France  because  he  has  con- 
tracted connections  'which  have  been  found  incom- 
patible with  his  abode  in  France.'  But  of  Lucien, 
the  Emperor,  if  we  may  form  a  judgment  from  the 
letter  of  the  Minister  of  Marine,  stands  in  some  awe. 
He  certainly  is  indebted  in  a  great  degree  to  him  for 
his  present  pre-eminence  and  power.  This  high  sense 
of  family  pride  which  must  not  be  sullied  by  contact 
and  commixture  with  plebeian  blood,  would  scarcely 
been  pardonable  in  the  real  descendants  of  Charle- 
magne. But  in  a  little  low  Corsican,  born  we  know 
not  of  whom,  and  whose  name  and  family  were  never 
heard  of  until  within  these  ten  years,  it  is  perfectly 
contemptible  and  ridiculous.  To  demonstrate  to  our 
readers  the  folly  of  the  objections  which  the  Emperor 
Buonaparte  has  made  to  the  alliance  formed  by  his 
brother  Jerome,  in  America,  we  present  the  following 
authentic  sketch  of  the  genealogy  of  the  Buonaparte 
family,  which  we  deem  it  our  duty  to  blazon  and  set 
forth  for  the  entertainment  and  information  of  our 
readers — 


180         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

Mrs.  Ranioglini,  of  Basle, 
married  M.  Ranioglini  ;  and,  secondly, 
M.  Fesch.     She  had  by  these  marriages 
Letitia  Ranioglini, 
and  M.  Fesch,  now  Cardinal  Fesch. 
Letitia  Ranioglini  married  Carlo  Bonaparte, 
a  Recorder  of  a  petty 
Tribunal  of  Ajaccio. 
Letitia  Bonaparte  was  afterwards  mistress  of  Count 
Marbceuf,  Governor  of  Corsica. 

Her  children  by  Carlo  Bonaparte  and  Count 
Marbceuf  are — His  Imperial  Highness, 

Joseph  Bonaparte,  who  married 
Her  Imperial  Highness,  M.  M.  Clary,  daughter  of  a 
ship-broker  at  Marseilles. 

His  Imperial  Majesty, 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE, 

who  married  Madame  de  Beauharnais,  first  the  wife 

of  Count  Beauharnais,  and  afterwards  the  mistress 

of  Barras. 

Citizen  Lucien  Bonaparte. 
He  was  first  an  Abbe.  In  1793  he  was  employed 
in  the  wagon  service  of  the  Army  of  Provence,  at 
£100  a  year.  His  first  wife  was  a  chambermaid  in 
the  tavern  of  one  Maximin,  near  Toulon.  She  died 
at  Neuilly  in  1797,  from  bad  treatment. 

His  second  wife  is  Madame  Jauberthou,  the   di- 
vorced wife  of  an  exchange  broker, 
of  Paris. 
She  was  his  mistress  for  a  year,  and  then  he  mar- 
ried her. 


THE  BONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE.         181 


His  Royal  Highness, 
Louis  Bonaparte, 
Married  Mademoiselle  Beauharnais,  daughter  of 
Her  Imperial  Majesty  by  her  first  husband. 

CITIZEN  JEROME  BONAPARTE 
Married  MISS  PATTERSON,  a  very  respectable 
and  beautiful  young  lady  of  Baltimore. 
Her  Imperial  Highness, 
Princess  Elisa, 
the  sister  of  his  Imperial  Majesty,  married  at  Mar- 
seilles, Bacciochi,  son  of  a  waiter  at  a  coffee-house, 
and  marker- at  a  billiard-table  at  Aix-la~Ohapelle  and 
Spa,  in  1793 ;  the  son  carried  on  a  small  trade  in 
Cotton  in  Switzerland. 

Her  Imperial  Highness, 
Princess  Matilda  Bonaparte,  married  Gene- 
ral MURAT,  son  of  an  ostler  at  an  Inn,  three  miles 
from  Cabors,  in  Quercy.     Murat,  in  1793,  proposed 
to  change  his  name  to  Marat. 

Her  Imperial  Highness 
Princess  Paulina  Borghese,  married  first  Gene- 
ral Leclerc,  who  was  the  son  of  a  wool  dealer,  at 
JPontoise.  He  purchased  wool  from  the  country  peo- 
ple, and  resold  it  at  Paris,  to  the  upholsterers.  His 
mother,  Madame  Leclerc,  was  a  retail  dealer  in  corn 
and  flour.  Her  brother  had  been  sentenced  to  be 
hanged  for  robbery." 

It  was  not  until  early  in  the  spring  of  1805  the 
letters  of  M.  Dacres  found  their  way  into  the  news- 
papers of  the  United  States.     At  this  time  they  were 


182         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

generally  published  by  the  few  journals  then  existing 
in  the  country ;  but  we  find  that  the  "  National  Intel- 
ligencer" in  Washington,  as  early  as  February  11th, 
publishes  the  letter  to  Pichon,  and  for  it  that  paper 
credits  the  London  Morning  Chronicle,  but  does  not 
give  the  date  of  the  issue.  We  do  not  find  that  the 
Baltimore  papers  published  these  letters  at  any  time, 
but  remained  comparatively  silent  upon  the  whole 
subject. 

On  the  3d  of  May  it  was  published  in  Philadelphia 
that  "  the  report  of  a  decree  annulling  the  marriage 
of  Jerome  Bonaparte  has  been  also  deemed  a  fiction 
in  this  country.  We,  however,  find  in  the  Moniteur 
of  the  1st  of  March  the  official  document  to  that 
effect.  It  differs  from  that  we  have  already  published 
in  the  concluding  words  which  are,  without  the  con- 
sent of  his  mother,  and  without  the  banns  thereof  being 
published  in  the  place  of  his  abode." 

On  the  20th  of  April  we  find  Mr.  Robert  Patterson 
again  in  Paris.  He  addresses  a  business  letter  in 
triplicate  to  Messrs.  William  Patterson  &  Sons,  Bal- 
timore, and  says  he  wrote  them  a  letter  from  Bor- 
deaux the  2d  of  April,  "  stating  the  particulars  of  the 
arrangement  I  had  entered  into  with  Mr.  Skipwith 
respecting  the  bills  he  is  to  receive."  This  letter  does 
not  appear  in  hand,  and  he  goes  on  to  say,  "  On  my 
arrival  here  the  day  before  yesterday  I  was  very 
much  astonished  at  Mr.  Bentalou  telling  me  that 
Skipwith  had  expressed  some  regret  at  the  contract 
he  had  made,  and  that  he  feared  very  much  he  wished 
to  be  off.     I  immediately  called  on  him,  determined 


to   hav( 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         183 

to  have  such  explanations  as  would  prevent  any- 
future  misunderstandings ;  but  finding  very  soon  from 
the  tenor  of  his  conversation,  and  from  the  shuffling 
disposition  he  discovered,  that  it  would  be  difficult  if 
not  impossible  to  compel  him  to  adhere  to  his  agree- 
ment ;  and  considering  also  the  danger  of  having  any- 
thing to  do  with  a  person  on  whose  word  we  find  not 
the  smallest  reliance  can  be  placed,  I  consented  to 
acquit  him  of  his  engagement  and  to  annul  the  con- 
tract. Bentalou  is  very  much  mortified  at  Skipwith's 
trifling  conduct.  He  suggested  the  arrangement,  and 
from  motives  of  friendship  towards  him  forwarded  the 
negotiation.  The  disappointment  is  the  more  aggra- 
vating, as  I  have  reason  to  suspect  I  was  undermined 
in  the  business  by  a  person  from  whom  a  very  differ- 
ent conduct  ought  to  have  been  expected.  I  allude 
to  Js.  Per s." 

After  writing  at  length  on  the  subject  of  commer- 
cial affairs  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  very*  dry 
reading  for  the  present  generation  of  merchants,  Mr. 
Patterson  concludes :  "  Mr.  Bentalou  requests  you 
will  send  him  a  pipe  of  Madeira  wine  of  first  quality. 
It  can  be  sent  either  to  Nantz  or  Bordeaux.  He 
wishes  it  to  be  cased."  This  looks  very  much  liko 
"  sending  coals  to  New  Castle." 

Without  any  previous  notice  of  his  departure  from 
Paris,  we  find  Mr.  Patterson  in  Amsterdam  on*  the 
10th  of  May. 

Dating  "Amsterdam,  May  10th  1805,"  he  writes 
to  his  father :  "  Enclosed  you  will  find  a  bill  on  the 
Treasury  of  the  United   States,  drawn  by  General 


184  THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

Armstrong  in  favor  of  Paul  Bentalou,  and  endorsed 
to  you,  for  170,378  francs  58  centimes.  The  letter 
of  advice  which  you  have  also  enclosed  and  the  bill 
are  dated  on  the  6th  inst.  You  will  please  to  recol- 
lect-1  have  purchased  $20,000  of  this  bill  from  Mr. 
B.,  for  which  I  am  to  pay  him  at  the  rate  others  are 
sold  of  the  same  description.  The  balance  you  will 
hold  subject  to  his  orders.  You  know  I  have  already 
given  Mr.  B.  $4000  as  part  of  the  purchase-money 
for  the  $20,000.  I  shall  remit  him  $10,000  or 
$12,000  more  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two,  and  the 
balance  when  we  have  a  precedent  to  establish  the 
discount  I  am  to  be  allowed.  Mr.  Bentalou  informs 
me  the  bills  are  to  be  paid  at  the  Treasury  at  the 
rate  of  one  dollar  per  jive  francs  and  three  thousand 
three  hundred  and  thirty -three  ten-thousandths  of  a 
franc. 

"  The  following  is  an  extract  of  Bentalou's  letter, 
dated  the  7th  of  May  :  '  As  the  Ministers  have  agreed 
to  serve  first  all  the  claimants  present,  it  follows  that 
we  will,  I  fear,  have  to  wait  some  time  longer  before 
those  represented  by  powers  of  attorney  are  granted, 
and  have  gone  through  not  only  the  examination  of 
these  powers ;  but  perhaps  more  difficulties  arising  in 
their  progress  between  the  Ministers  will  have  to 
undergo  long  discussions.  It  appears  they  have  agreed 
that  the  bills  are  to  be  issued  in  the  name  and  for  the 
sole  benefit  of  the  original  claimant,  therefore  not 
negotiable ;  and  hence  the  necessity  of  the  agents,  in 
order  to  secure  their  due,  to  send  these  bills  to  a  third 
person ;  and  I  have  the  pleasure  to  add  that  Mr. 


THE  BO  NAP  A  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE.         185 

Skipwith  has  already  informed  me  that  since  he  is 
not  allowed  to  deduct  here  his  commissions  from  each 
claim  that  he  represents,  he  means  to  comply  with  his 
former  engagements  agreed  upon  with  you,  and  of 
course  will  send  all  his  bills  to  your  house.  If  this 
turns  out  to  be  the  case,  as  I  really  believe  it  will, 
we  must  discard  our  suspicion  of  any  collusion  with 
our  New  England  friend. 

"  When  I  have  anything  from  Skipwith  respecting 
a  renewal  of  our  engagement,  you  shall  be  informed. 
It  will  then  be  sufficient  time  for  you  to  make  your 
arrangements. 

"  The  person  sent  to  the  Texel  writes  that  public 
notice  was  given  there  in  handbills  that  any  person 
having  communication  with  the  ship  Erin,  Captain 
Stephenson,  would  incur  a  severe  penalty.  He  men- 
tions 'also  that  he  has  reason  to  believe  that  the  ship 
arrived  in  the  Texel  roads  last  Wednesday,  but  was 
ordered  off  immediately;  and  he  adds  that  there  is  a 
report  of  her  being  in  the  Vlieland,  a  place  about 
thirty  miles  to  the  northward  of  the  Texel.  He  sent 
a  letter  of  mine  for  William  to  that  place.  They  will 
no  doubt  proceed  to  Embden." 

To  this  letter  Mr.  Patterson  signs  his  name  in  full, 
as  he  invariably  did  when  without  the  boundaries  of 
France.  As  so  much  has  been  written  by  Mr.  Pat- 
terson  on  the  subject  of  "  bills  to  be  drawn  by  our 
Minister,"  we  give  below  a  letter  from  General  Arm- 
strong transmitting  a  "bill,"  and  also  a  copy  of  one 
of  the  bills  in  question  : — 
12 


186          THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

«  Paris,  May  6,  1805. 

"  Sir — I  have  this  day  drawn  on  you  in  favor  of 
Paul  Bentalou,  in  pursuance  of  a  liquidation  by  the 
government  of  France,  in  this  case  provided  by  the 
Convention  between  the  United  States  and  France  of 
the  30th  April  1803,  the  10th  of  Floreal,  year  11,  for 
one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  three  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  francs  fifty-eight  centimes. 

"  John  Armstrong, 

"  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United  States. 
"To  the  Treasurer  of  the  United  States,  Washington." 

We  cannot  give  a  copy  of  the  bill  which  was  drawn 
as  above,  but  we  have  one  similar. 

"No.  559. 

"  Exchange  for  3321  francs  and  four  centimes  at  5 
francs  foWo  per  dollar,  Paris  Aug.  16,  1805.  Pay 
ninety  days  after  sight  this  my  first  of  exchange, 
2d  and  3d  of  same  tenor  and  date  unpaid,  to  the 
order  of  George  Ellis,  surviving  partner  of  the  house  of 
Geo.  Short  &  Thos.  Ellis,  in  pursuance  of  a  liquida- 
tion by  the  government  of  France,  in  this  case  provided 
by  the  convention  between  the  United  States  and 
France  of  the  30th  April  1803— the  10th  of  Floreal, 
year  11,  three  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
one  francs  and  four  centimes.  Per  advice  from  the 
undersigned  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United 
States.  John  Armstrong. 

"  To  the  Treasurer  of  the  United  States,  Washington." 

The  treaty  of  30th  April  1803  was  concluded  by 
Mr.  Livingston  for  the  purchase  of  Louisiana. 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSOX  MARRIAGE.         187 


If  ladies  will  pardon  this  digression  from  the  sub- 
ject of  the  marriage  into  the  channels  of  business,  in 
which  gentlemen  only  may  take  an  interest,  we  will 
place  before  them  a  short  letter  from  Mr.  Robert 
Patterson,  written  from  Amsterdam  to  his  father, 
announcing  the  arrival  of  Madame  Bonaparte's  vessel 
at  the  Texel.  The  Texel  is  a  small  island  in  the 
North  Sea  opposite  the  inland  waters  of  Holland 
upon  which  the  city  of  Amsterdam  is  situated.  Its 
location  will  be  seen  on  reference  to  a  map  of  Europe. 

Dating  Amsterdam,  May  11th  1805,  Mr.  Patterson 
says : — "  I  learn  from   the  Texel  the   arrival  of  the 

tErin.  The  pilot  who  brought  her  in  is  put  in  the 
guard-ship,  and  will  in  all  probability  be  punished. 
The  person  who  is  at  the  Texel  had  not  at  the  time  he 
wrote  succeeded  in  putting  my  letter  on  board,  but 
expected  to  be  able  to  do  it.  From  the  circumstance 
of  their  prohibiting  the  pilots  from  bringing  in  the 
vessel,  I  am  in  hopes  their  object  is  merely  to  prevent 
their  landing,  and  that  they  will  be  permitted  to 
depart  again.     Yours  affectionately." 

To  this  letter  Mr.  Patterson  does  not  sign  his  name  ; 
but  addresses  it  to  Messrs.  Wm.  Patterson  &  Sons, 
Baltimore. 

Whilst  we  are  waiting  for  more  news  from  the 
Texel,  we  will  open  another  letter  that  comes  from  a 
different  direction  and  goes  in  a  different  one,  quite 
contrary  to  the  location  of  the  person  to  whom  it  is 
addressed ;  but  the  writer  has  already  been  admitted 
into  our  circle  of  correspondents,  and  we  will  give 
him  a  hearing  in  order.     Before  we  open  the  letter, 


188         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

let  us  take  particular  notice  of  the  directions  on  its 
envelope.  Just  look  !  It  is  headed  by  large  red  let- 
ters in  print. 

Ship  Lille. 
Then  conies  the  writing — 

"  A  Madame. 
Madame  Jerome  Bonaparte. 

Baltimore, 

Maryland. 
In  Amerique." 

We  will  now  break  the  great  seal  of  wax,  and  read — 

"  Lille,  May  29th  1805. 
"  Madame — 

"  It  was  with  the  most  lively  solicitude  that  I 
read  in  the  Official  Journal  that  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Jerome 
Bonaparte  had  arrived  at  Lisbon.  The  joy  however 
which  I  felt  on  this  occasion  was  not,  I  find,  to  be  of 
any  long  duration ;  but  on  the  contrary  was  to  be 
succeeded  by  some  news  as  unpalatable  and  mortifying 
as  my  intelligence  had  been  pleasing.  You  may  sup- 
pose, Madame,  I  allude,  and  if  you  do,  you  will  con- 
jecture rightly,  that  I  allude  to  the  subsequent  rumor, 
that  you  and  Mr.  Patterson  were  again  departed  for 
America.  How  to  account  for  this  circumstance,  I 
am  utterly  at  a  loss !  If  it  is  true,  I  trust  whatever 
may  be  the  event,  it  will  still  be  such  as  to  establish 
your  reputation,  and  the  honor  of  your  family,  on  as 
solid  a  basis  as  they  have  both  heretofore  rested ;  and 
that  the  connection  which  you  have  so  happily  and 
honorably  formed  will  at  length  be  sanctioned  in  its 


TEE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 


189 


due  extent.  If  this  should  be  the  case,  no  one  will 
rejoice  more  sincerely  at  this  event  than  myself.  If 
it  should  unfortunately  be  otherwise,  which  I  cannot 
bring  myself  to  believe,  it  becomes  our  duty,  however 
painful  the  practice  of  this  duty  may  be,  to  submit 
with  resignation  to  the  will  of  Providence,  which  you, 
from  your  own  conscious  rectitude  of  conduct  and 
purity  of  intention,  will  be  enabled  to  do,  so  far  as  to 
insure  to  yourself  that  tranquillity  and  peace  of  mind 
which  virtue  always  gives,  and  which  neither  gold  nor 
honors  can  purchase. 

"  In  this  case,  should  any  chance  hereafter  bring 
you  to  this  part  of  the  world,  I  shall  feel  it  my  indis- 
pensable duty  to  seize  the  earliest  opportunity  of  pay- 
ing my  respects  to  you ;  and  to  assure  you  personally, 
as  I  now  do  by  letter,  of  my  readiness  to  render  you 
every  service  in  my  power. 

"  Permit  me,  Madame,  to  subscribe  myself,  with 
most  respectful  regards, 

"  Your  most  obedient  and  most  devoted  servant, 

George  Matthew  Pater  son. 

Rue  Equimoise,  No.  921. 

"  P.  S.  I  have  already  had  the  honor  by  letter  of 
the  6th  of  August  1804,  to  make  myself  known  to  you. 

To  Madame  Jerome  Bonaparte." 


If  the  reader  will  turn  back  to  Mr.  Geo.  M.  Pater- 
son's  letter  of  the  6th  August  1804,  the  two  together 
will  make  up  an  interesting  and  an  amusing  docu- 
ment. 

Next  we  have  the  following  paragraph   from  the 


190        THE  B ONAPAR  TE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

New  York  papers,  but  without  date.  "  Paris  papers 
to  the  20th  of  May  brought  from  Amsterdam  by  the 
ship  Mississippi,  we  are  verbally  informed,  state  that 
Madame  Bonaparte  had  arrived  at  Amsterdam  from 
Lisbon  some  days  previous  to  the  sailing  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, but  no  communication  was  suffered  between 
her  and  the  shore;  and  the  ship  being  ordered  away 
was  about  to  sail,  but  for  what  port  was  unknown. 
Jerome  Bonaparte  was  then  at  Amsterdam." 

Chancellor  Livingston  returned  from  Europe  on 
this  ship ;  but  it  is  not  true  that  Jerome  was  in  Am- 
sterdam at  the  time  stated.  He  at  once  yielded  to 
the  dictates  of  the  Dictator,  forsook  his  wife,  returned 
to  service  in  the  French  Navy,  and  was,  on  the  4th 
of  June  1805,  erasing  off  Genoa  as  commander  of  the 
frigate  Pomona,  attended  by  two  brigs — a  single  man 
again,  as  the  anonymous  correspondent  said  Jerome 
declared  he  would  be  on  his  arrival  in  France. 

Digressing  again  into  the  political  affairs  of  Holland, 
we  copy  the  following  paragraphs  found  in  the  Lon- 
don papers  of  the  5th  of  April  1805 : — 

"  A  letter  from  Rotterdam,  of  the  27th  ultimo, 
states  that  the  people  of  that  country  seem  in  general 
pleased  with  the  new  constitution,  as  it  assimilates  so 
much  with  their  old  one.  The  best  informed  politi- 
cians think  that  at  the  period  of  a  general  peace 
the  stadtholderian  government  will  be  re-established 
through  the  intervention  and  influence  of  the  cabinet 
of  Berlin. 

"  Mr.  Schimmelpenninck  will  remain  at  the  head  of 
the  government  till  that  time.     Before  the  revolution, 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 


191 


he  was  a  man  very  little  known — a  barrister.  He  is 
of  a  good  family.  His  behavior,  since  he  has  been  in 
a  political  situation,  has  gained  him  the  esteem  of 
many  of  his  countrymen.  He  assumed  his  functions 
on  the  29th  of  April." 

The  English  papers  in  their  issues  of  June  1805, 
said  that  the  ship  Erin  of  Baltimore  was  at  Amster- 
dam in  May,  with  Madame  Bonaparte  in  board, 
'•  where  she  was  not  suffered  to  go  on  shore.  Madame 
is  in  the  last  stage  of  pregnancy.  Her  brother  did 
not  think  it  safe  to  proceed  to  Baltimore.  The  Erin 
was  in  the  Texel  a  week,  and  was  placed  between  a 
sixty-four  gun  ship,  and  a  frigate,  a  guard-boat  kept 
about  the  ship  at  night." 

On  this  situation  we  would  forbear  to  indulge  in 
any  remarks.  Our  pen  lifts  from  the  attempt,  and 
perspiration  starts  at  the  task.  But  we  would  ask  a 
few  questions  of  the  civilized,  the  great,  and  the 
learned  maritime  jurist ;  for  we  make  no  pretensions 
to  learning  ourselves.  What  principle  underlying  the 
law  of  nations  did  the  ship  Erin  violate  ?  What 
code  prepared  by  the  wisdom  of  the  great  past  ?  and 
what  of  the  national  statutes,  or  the  unwritten  law, 
the  law  of  custom  ?  What  doctrine  founded  in  inter- 
national courtesies  ? 

The  Erin,  armed  with  nothing  more  dangerous  than 
an  American  flag  and  register,  and  with  nothing  less 
respectable,  was  entitled  to  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  every  nation,  yet  she  was  driven  under  guns  !  She 
was  simply  a  merchant  vessel  of  the  United  States, 
with  a  cabin  fitted  up  expressly  for  the  accommodation 


1 92         THE  B ONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MAR RIA GE. 

of  a  lady.  What  is  "  a  vessel  of  the  United  States?" 
It  is  not  "  a  vessel  of,  or  belonging  to,  the  govern- 
ment, carrying  arms  and  munitions  of  war  ;  but  simply 
a  ship  or  vessel  belonging  to  a  citizen  or  citizens  of 
the  United  States,  carrying  their  national  flag.  The 
Erin  had  on  board  her  register  and  flag,  granted:  to 
her  on  compliance  with  an  Act  of  Congress  passed  on 
the  31st  of  December  1792,  and  approved  by  Presi- 
dent Washington  himself.  She  carried  nothing  known 
as  "  contraband  of  war."  She  was  a  merchant  vessel, 
we  say,  owned  by  William  Patterson  of  Baltimore ; 
and  her  clearance  from  Baltimore  certified  that  she 
carried" no  guns."  Her  character  and  documents, 
therefore,  subject  by  law  and  custom  to  the  inspection 
of  all  nations,  declared  that  she  was  not  dangerous 
to  the  nations  "with  which  the  United  States  are  at 
peace,"  or  even  at  war.  She  was  not  an  alien,  foreign 
to  all  nationalities,  but  a  fully  documented  ship,  pre- 
pared for  all  the  privileges  of  the  ocean,  and  fitted  for 
entry  at  all  the  parts  of  civilization.  On  her  arrival 
at  the  Texel,  the  authorities  there  well  knew  that  no 
one  of  her  crew  or  passengers  could  be  made  a  polit- 
ical prisoner,  or  a  prisoner  of  war.  The  party  charged 
with  some  imaginary  violation  of  the  laws  of  France, 
left  the  vessel  in  Portugal,  an  entirely  different  na- 
tionality, with  which  the  French  were  at  peace ;  and 
the  Erin  therefore  passively  stood  before  Amsterdam 
clear  of  the  least  guilty  charge.  /But  she  was  not 
allowed  to  enter  any  port  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
France  ;  for  the  Emperor  of  that  country  sent  two 
gun-ships  alongside  of  her,  for  no  other  reason  than 
to  frighten  a  lady  with  "no  guns." 


THE  B  ON  A  PAR  TE-  PA  TTE 11  SON  MA  RRIA  GE.         193 

If  the  scene  could  be  photographed  on  oui;  skies, 
we  think  sun,  moon,  and  stars  might  pale  at  the  sight 
of  the  strange  figures ;  and  the  affrighted  comet, 
dropping  his  load  of  material  for  building  and  repair- 
ing worlds,  would  depart  a  tailless  wanderer  through 
the  deeper  blue  of  the  heavens. 

Mr.  Schimmelpenninck,  whom  we  have  already  in- 
troduced, was  at  the  time  of  Madame  Bonaparte's 
arrival  before  Amsterdam  styled  "  Grand  Pensionary 
of  the  Batavian  Republic,"  and  was  then  at  the  head 
of  the  government  of  that  country. 

Sylvanus  Bourne,  Esq.,  who  had  the  honor  of  bear- 
ing to  John  Adams  the  intelligence  of  his  election  to 
the  office  of  first  Vice-President  of  the  United  States, 
under  Washington  as  first  President,  was  Consul- 
General  of  the  United  States  at  Amsterdam,  when 
Madame  Bonaparte  was  under  guard  of  French  guns, 
in  the  Erin,  before  that  city ;  and  from  the  paper  we 
copy  below,  we  discover  the  highly  honorable  and 
manly  course  he  took  with  respect  to  the  humiliating 
condition  of  his  countrywoman.  The  paper  appears 
to  be  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Bourne  himself,  and 
we  copy  it  in  full : — 

"  Copy  of  a  letter  of  S.  Bourne,  Consul-General 
of  the  United  States  at  Amsterdam,  to  His  Excel- 
lency R.  J.  Schimmelpennnick,  Grand  Pensionary  of 
the  Batavian  Republic,  in  the  case  of  the  ship  Erin, 
Captain  Stephenson,  May  — ,  1805. 

"  Sir, — I  am  called  upon  by  imperious  motives  in 
which  the  influence  of  private  friendship  combines 
with  that  of  public  duty  to  address  you  on  the  inter- 


194         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MAURI  AGE. 

esting  case  of  the  American  ship  Erin,  Captain  Ste- 
phenson, late  from  Lisbon,  and  the  passengers  on 
board,  now  lying  in  the  Texel  Roads,  under  the  most 
rigorous  interdiction  of  any  communication  with  the 
shore. 

"  I  shall  waive  all  contest  on  the  question  of  right 
resulting  from  the  treaty  between  the  Batavian  Re- 
public and  the  United  States  to  carry  on  a  free  com- 
merce with  this  country  ;  nor  shall  I  inquire  how  far 
the  circumstances  under  which  this  vessel  arrives, 
may  constitute  any  illegality  in  the  case.  I  am  not 
ignorant  of  the  avowed  cause  of  the  detention,  and 
have  only  to  ask  that  an  immediate  decision  may  be 
had  thereon.  My  amiable  countrywoman,  who  is  on 
board,  is  very  far  advanced  in  a  state  of  pregnancy, 
which  renders  her  situation  peculiarly  delicate  and 
deserving  of  attention.  Her  sufferings  already,  from 
causes  which  perhaps  cannot  be  controlled,  are  suffi- 
ciently severe,  and  sure  I  am  you  will  be  anxious  that 
they  should  not  be  aggravated  by  any  unnecessary 
delay.  I  must  therefore  entertain  the  fullest  confi- 
dence that  you  will  immediately  cause  orders  to  be 
given  for  a  due  supply  of  fresh  provisions  to  be  fur- 
nished the  ship,  and' that  she  be  suffered  to  depart,  if 
Mrs.  Bonaparte  cannot  be  permitted  to  find  an  asy- 
lum here.  In  this  request  her  brother  joins,  united 
with  that  of  having  permission  to  go  on  board  in 
person,  or  to  send  on  board  a  sealed  letter  relative  to 
the  future  destination  of  the  vessel. 

"  Submitting  the  whole  matter  to  the  operation  of 
those  sentiments  of  propriety  and  justice  which  emi- 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         195 

nently  distinguish  jour  character,  I  have  the  honor 
to  be  your  obedient  servant." 

In  May  1805,  a  London  paper  says,  "  The  ship 
Erin,  of  Baltimore,  arrived  at  Dover  on  the  19th  of 
May.  Madame  Bonaparte  was  on  board  last  from 
Amsterdam;"  and  on  the  30th  of  May  the  same  pa- 
pers said,  "Madame  Jerome  Bonaparte  has  seen  very 
little  company  since  her  arrival  in  London." 

For  the  present  we  will  leave  Madame  Bonaparte 
in  London.  She  has  found  an  asylum  at  last  among 
her  own  people.  She  is  but  nineteen  years  of  age ; 
yet  she  is  on  an  ocean  of  trouble,  and  she  greatly 
needs  rest.  She  will  have  kind  friends  there  to  nurse 
the  embers  of  hope  during  the  days  of  her  sojourn- 
ment, and  the  calm  nights  which  breed  multitudinous 
thoughts. 

To  hear  the  next  sad  story,  the  kind  reader  will 
please  follow  me  over  to  Genoa.  Here  we  find  "  Al- 
exander," perhaps  the  identical  person  whom  our  old 
friend  Maupertuis  styled  "  My  dear  Alexander."  We 
mean  Alexander  Le  Camus,  and  here  is  his  letter. 
We  copy  it  in  full.  It  is  addressed  to  William  Pat- 
terson, Baltimore. 

"  Genoa,  12th  of  June  1805. 

"  Dear  Sir — Mr.  Bonaparte  did  not  let  you  hear 
from  him  since  his  arrival  among  his  family,  on  account 
of  painful  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed. 
Notwithstanding  the  difficulties  there  were  to  be  level- 
led in  adjusting  the  affair  with  his  brother,  he  con- 
stantly entertained  great  hopes  ;  but  your  daughter 
has  far  removed,  if  not  destroyed  for  ever,  the  possi- 


196  THE  B  ON  A  PA  R  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE. 

bility  of  a  reconciliation.  Being  obliged  to  leave  her 
in  Lisbon,  Mr.  Bonaparte  thought  she  could  not  have 
been  committed  to  a  better  guide  than  her  brother, 
and  that  her  conduct  would  have  agreed  with  the  plan 
that  he  was  to  carry  into  execution;  her  situation,  and 
her  own  interest,  would  have  advised  her  not  to  take 
any  improper  steps  ;  but  finding  in  Holland  orders 
which  prohibited  her  landing  on  the  French  territory, 
she  imprudently  went  to  London,  instead  of  going  to 
a  neutral  port,  as  Embden  or  Bremen ;  and  her  arri- 
val in  that  city  mentioned  in  the  newspapers,  has 
excited  some  rumors,  and  will  certainly  give  occasion 
for  any  kind  of  observations  directed  against  his 
family.  The  Emperor,  in  a  letter  which  Mr.  Bona- 
parte received  yesterday,  expressed  to  him  a  strong 
dissatisfaction  at  it.  In  the  present  circumstances 
of  war,  such  a  conduct  was  not  dictated  by  a  good 
policy.  It  breaks  all  correspondence  between  them 
both,  and  offends  the  emperor,  whose  generous  heart 
would  have  been  converted  to  more  favorable  disposi- 
tions. 

"  However,  Mr.  Bonaparte  begs  me  to  assure  you 
that  he  will  never  deviate  from  the  principles  of  honor 
and  delicacy  which  were  always  the  basis  of  his  cha- 
racter, and  on  which  his  happiness  is  established.  He 
desires  you  to  rely  entirely  upon  him,  and  let  time 
obliterate  the  first  impressions  made  on  the  mind  of 
the  Emperor. 

"  I  am  happy  that  Mr.  Bonaparte  has  chosen  me 
to  transmit  to  you  the  expressions  of  his  true  attach- 
ment for  you  and  family.     He  does  not  forget  the 


THE  B ONAPA  R TE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE.         197 

children,  whom  he  misses  very  much.  We  speak  often 
of  you  all,  and  of  our  good  acquaintances  in  Ame 
rica.  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  recall  myself  to  their 
remembrance,  and  be  persuaded  of  my  perfect  esteem 
and  attachment. 

"  Yours,  truly, 

"Alexander  Le  Camus." 

The  preceding  letter  speaks  too  plainly  for  itself  to 
need  explanation ;  and  we  give  another  letter  from 
General  Tuerreau,  the  French  Envoy  at  Washington, 
of  whom  we  will  shortly  have  Madame  Bonaparte's 
opinion. 

Dating  Washington,  July  3d  1805,  he  writes : — 

"  I  wish  to  ascertain  with  any  person  appointed  by 
you  the  situation  of  the  country-house  which  I  hold 
from  you,  as  well  as  to  make  a  statement  of  the  furni- 
ture left  by  you,  and  the  repairs  which  might  be  neces- 
sary to  make  in  the  said  house.  This  I  hope  will  be  as 
agreeable  to  you  as  to  me.  As  we  have  not  agreed  yet 
on  the  yearly  price  for  the  rent  of  this  country-house, 
please  let  me  know  it,  with  the  date  that  it  is  to  run 
on  my  account.  If  any  immediate  repairs  are  now 
judged  necessary,  I  will  with  great  pleasure,  when 
agreed  by  you,  pay  them  upon  the  rent.  I  am,  with 
consideration,  sir, 

"  Tuerreau. 

"Mr.  Patterson,  Merchant,  Baltimore." 

We  have  no  more  letters  from  the  Minister  at  pre- 
sent, but  Madame  Bonaparte  will  let  us  hear  again 
from  her  father's  tenant  by  a  missile  which  she  hurls 
at  him  from  England. 


198         THE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  31 A  RR I  A  GE. 

Using  the  parlance  common  to  the  science  of  agri- 
culture, let  us  "knock  off  cutting,"  and  "shock  up" 
that  which  is  already  down. 

We  must  bear  in  mind  that   the  mother   of  the 
Bonaparte   family  recommended   her  son  Jerome  to 
come  directly  to  France  and  send  his  wife  to  Holland, 
where  she  should  remain  whilst  negotiations  for  the 
imperial  recognition  of  her  marriage  were  pending  at 
Paris.     It  is  not  clearly  seen  why  she  did  so  instruct 
her  son ;  but  the  eye  of  history  which  "  penetrates 
the   cabinets  of  kings,"   and  finally  rests  upon  the 
form  of  mystery,  will  soon  bring  it  to  full  view.     She 
knew,   and  Jerome  also  knew,  that,  with  respect  to 
government,  Holland  was  just  as  French  as  France. 
According  to  the  first  epistle  of  Le  Camus,  Jerome, 
after   her   humiliating  detention  before  Amsterdam, 
upbraids  his  wife  for  not  going  to  a  neutral  port  after 
she  cleared  the  Texel.     If  going  to   a  neutral  port 
was  proper  at  last,  it  should  also  have  been  proper  at 
first.     It  does  not  therefore  fail  to  appear  that  the 
Bonapartes  were    determined  upon   a  laugh   at  her 
"credulity."    National  diplomacy  had  already  estab- 
lished the  precedent  of  conducting  negotiations  for 
the  adjustment  of  national  differences  on  the  soil  of 
neutral  countries,  and  Holland  was  not  therefore  the 
place    for    carrying  on    negotiations   concerning   the 
marriage.     With  respect  to  negotiations  concerning 
a  marriage  only,  London  should  have  been  considered 
just  as  neutral  as  Embden,  Bremen,  or  Copenhagen. 
"  She    imprudently    went    to    London,"    says    Le 
Camus.     We  ask  why  was  going  to  London  so  impru- 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  199 

dent  ?  He  lamely  and  miserably  answers  the  ques- 
tion himself,  because  it  "  will  certainly  give  occasion 
for  any  kind  of  observations  directed  against  his 
family,"  and  "  such  a  conduct  was  not  directed  by  a 
good  policy.  It  breaks  off  all  correspondence  between 
them  both,  and  offends  the  Emperor  /"  He  had  no 
other  ground  for  offence  than  that  her  name  was 
Patterson,  and  the  King  of  England  had  a  right  to  a 
like  ground  of  offence  because  her  name  was  Bona- 
parte. But  he  was  not  offended.  He  had  no  fears 
for  the  loss  of  his  crown  because  the  "  young  person" 
who  had  attached  herself  to  a  Bonaparte  had  arrived 
before  London.  He  received  her  in  his  dominions 
notwithstanding  her  name  and  history,  and  he  also 
honored  her  national  colors. 

"  It  breaks  off  all  correspondence  between  them," 
says  Le  Camus.  It  need  not  be  broken  off;  for  there 
were  her  two  brothers,  her  physician,  Dr.  Gamier, 
and  her  lady  attendants,  all  fully  competent  to  con- 
duct it  for  Jerome  just  as  well  as  Mr.  Le  Camus 
could  conduct  it  for  him  with  Mr.  Patterson  in  Balti- 
more. Jerome  might  have  conducted  the  correspond- 
ence himself  without  his  signature,  and  bound  his 
wife  and  her  attendants  under  a  sacred  promise  to 
burn  his  letters,  as  he  said  he  had  bound  his  father- 
in-law  Mr.  Patterson. 

Before  Jerome  and  his  wife  embarked  for  Europe, 
he  had  learned  from  Dacres,  Pichon,  and  Tuerreau, 
his  own  countrymen  and  others,  that  an  order  had 
gone  forth  under  the  imperial  seal  forbidding  her  to 
board  a  French   vessel,  or  "  put  a  foot  on   French 


200  THE  B  ON  A  PA  B  TE-  PA  TTERSON  MA1UITA  GE. 

territory;"  and  he  was  therefore  well  advised,  in 
advance,  that  she  would  not  be  permitted  to  land  in 
Holland.  But  in  the  face  of  these  warnings  Jerome 
deliberately  sent  his  wife  to  that  country,  and  conse- 
quently this  act  was  what  I  have  heard  ladies  call  "  a 
come-oif." 

Madame  Bonaparte's  first  and  only  child  was  borr 
at  Camberwell,  near  London,  on  the  7th  of  July 
1805.  It  was  a  boy,  and  she  named  him  Jerome 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  ! — Not  Patterson, 

We  next  meet  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  in  London. 
The  only  letter  we  have  from  him  touching  the  event 
just  referred  to  is  one  which  we  shall  now  place 
before  the  reader.  It  is  headed  "  Original  per  London 
packet  via  Philadelphia,"  and  on  the  cover  is  written 
"To  Mr.  William  Patterson,  Baltimore." 

Dating  "London,  27th  July  1805,"  he  writes  :— 

"  Dear  Sir :  I  have  now  the  pleasure  to  inform 
you  that  my  sister  is  well  recovered  from  her  confine- 
ment. She  has  been  down  stairs  two  or  three  days. 
The  child  was  vaccinated  five  or  six  days  since,  and  is 
doing  well. 

"  We  are  still  without  any  news  from  the  continent. 
The  vigilance  of  Jerome's  friends  will,  I  am  very 
much  afraid,  completely  prevent  his  hearing  from  us 

and  we  from  him.  Poor  B was  so  much  afraid  of 

another  visit  from  the  police  that  he  has  returned  me 
by  Mr.  Monroe  some  letters  which  he  received  from 
me  since  his  enlargement. 

"  I  have  as  yet  had  but  little  conversation  with  Mr. 
Monroe.     He  does  not,  however,  say  anything  very 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         201 

flattering  to  our  hopes.  I  shall  consult  him  on  the 
propriety  of  our  going  to  the  continent,  and  will  en- 
deavor to  persuade  my  sister  to  whatever  he  may 
advise ;  but  I  do  not  think  she  can  be  diverted  from 
her  intention  of  going. 

"  Everything  on  our  part  shall  be  done  to  bring 
the  affair  to  issue  before  we  leave  Europe,  which  can 
scarcely  be  before  next  spring.  Write  us  to  this 
place,  for  were  we  even  on  the  continent,  letters  will 
reach  us  just  as  soon  as  if  sent  there  direct.  Yours 
affectionately." 

It   is    not   easy  to  determine  who  was  meant  by 

"  Poor  B "  in  the  above  letter.     Le  Camus  says 

that  Bonaparte  was  at  Genoa  on  the  12th  of  July, 
and  received  a  letter  from  the  Emperor  "yesterday," 
which  was  the  11th.  Another  account,  given  on  a 
previous  page  of  this  book,  says  he  was  there  also  on 
the  4th  of  June  in  command  of  the  frigate  Pomona 
and  two  brigs ;  and  it  will  be  seen  that  Le  Camus 
locates  him  as  still  there  on  the  29th  of  July,  and  it 
is  not  likely  that  an  officer  on  duty  in  the  French 
Navy  would  be  subject  to  the  visits  of  the  Genoese 
police ;  nor  is  it  likely  that  Jerome  would  return  to 
Mr.  Patterson,  by  way  of  France,  any  letters  on  the 
subject  of  his  marriage.  Can  it  be  that  the  writer 
refers  to  Mr.  Bentalou  and  the  police  of  Paris  ?  or 
does  he  refer  to  some  person  in  London  subject  to  the 
visits  of  the  police  of  that  city  ? 

Before  Mr.  Patterson  and  Madame  Bonaparte 
begin  to  send  in  more  letters,  we  will  prepare  the 
reader  for  the  reception  of  the  surprising  intelligence 


202          TEE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

of  which  they  are  the  vehicle,  by  giving  our  friend 
Le  Camus  another  hearing.  His  letters  are  very 
entertaining  and  refreshing  to  us,  because  he  writes 
for  Jerome.  Young  ladies,  especially,  who  are  gen- 
erally trying  to  learn  how  to  get  married  themselves, 
often  find  that  the  experience  of  those  already  mar- 
ried is  instructive  to  them ;  and  Mr.  Le  Camus  in  the 
following  letter  may  furnish  them  with  some  information 
that  will  be  useful  in  directing  their  choice  of  a  hus- 
band. From  the  reading  of  this  letter,  they  may  be 
impressed  with  the  belief  that  "  all  is  not  gold  that 
glitters,"  and  that  everything  drawn  is  not  the  "  prize 
which  most  of  their  sex  covet." 

"  Genoa,  29th  July  1805. 
"  Dear  Sir— 

"I  committed  the  13th  of  June  to  the  care  of 
the  American  Consul  in  this  town,  a  letter  for  you 
stating  the  circumstances  of  the  separation  of  your 
daughter  from  Mr.  Bonaparte.  Nothing  more  has 
occurred  since.  I  have  received  no  news  from  Eng- 
land but  once  by  the  doctor,  who  arrived  here  ten 
days  ago.  He  left  Madame  in  good  health  and  spirits, 
notwithstanding  the  trouble  of  her  situation.  He 
met,  at  his  landing  at  Rotterdam,  Mr.  Robert  ready 
to  embark  for  England,  where  he  must  be  at  this 
moment  with  his  sister.  I  entertain  no  doubt  that  he 
will  advise  her  to  take  the  proper  steps  that  are  to  be 
followed  in  the  present  affair.  In  my  interview  with 
him  at  Amsterdam,  I  explained  to  him  the  conduct  of 
Mr.  Bonaparte,  the  order  and  propositions  of  the  Em- 
peror, the  consequences  of  an  untimely  opposition  to 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         203 

them,  and  the  plan  of  conduct  to  pursue.  He  must 
have  mentioned  to  you  all  these  particulars.  I  added 
the  instructions  which  Jerome  had  received  from  M. 
*  *  *,  and  his  wishes  to  see  them  executed. 

"You  know  him  too  well,  dear  Sir,  to  misrepresent 
in  the  slightest  degree  his  intention,  and  nojt  to  be 
persuaded  that  he  will  leave  nothing  undone  to  bring 
the  Emperor  to  a  reconciliation  to  which  his  happiness 
is  so  closely  annexed.  I  cannot  repeat  to  you  too 
often  the  assurance  of  the  sentiments  in  which  he  is 
persevering.  Nothing  is  neglected  on  his  part  to 
prove  him  worthy  of  your  confidence,  attachment, 
and  general  esteem ;  but  now  too  much  precipitation 
would  be  fruitless,  and  operate  nothing  else  but  the 
ruin  of  your  son-in-law.  Your  daughter  has  only  to 
yield  to  the  present,  and  expect  a  better  time.  Mr. 
Bonaparte  hopes  that  you  will  advise  her  not  to  reject 
the  marks  of  the  benevolence  of  the  Emperor,  if  you 
consider  them  in  the  proper  light.  A  refusal  would 
oifend  him  and  destroy  everything. 

"  When  Madame  shall  be  able  to  undertake  a  sea  voy- 
age, Mr.  Bonaparte  desires,  if  she  is  not  recalled, 
that  she  will  return  to  America  and  live  there  in  her 
own  house,  and  in  the  same  way  as  she  did  when  she 
was  in  Baltimore,  and  as  if  she  was  expecting  her 
husband,  until  he  shall  succeed  in  obtaining  her  recall. 
He  will  anticipate  all  her  wishes,  and  provide  for 
everything  in  that  momentary  establishment. 

"  Mr.  Bonaparte  cannot  write  to  you  in  this  mo 
ment.  This  privation  is  very  grievous  to  him.  You 
will  soon  know  the  reasons  of  it.     Do  not  let  anybody 


204         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

know  the  contents  of  your   letters  mentioning  family 
matters.     Keep  them  open  only  to  your  wife. 

"  Mr.  Bonaparte  has  in  this  port  under  his  com- 
mand a  small  squadron  of  five  men-of-war,  and  is 
ready  to  sail  in  a  few  days  for  a  mission.  If  he  is 
successful,  he  will  ask  his  wife  as  a  reward  of  his 
conduct. 

."I  have  not  in  my  recollection  the  debts  that  Mr. 
Bonaparte  may  have  left  behind,  but  they  are  trifling. 
The  bill  of  M.  Chandron  is  correct.  Your  accounts 
will  be  settled  in  Paris  as  soon  as  you  please.  I 
hope  that  my  letter  will  find  all  the  family  in  good 
health,  and  relieve  you  from  anxiety  on  account  of  a 
beloved  daughter.  I  address  this  under  the  cover  of 
your  correspondent  in  Lisbon,  and  hope  it  will  be 
conveyed  to  America  by  a  safe  opportunity. 

"  Mr.  Bonaparte  kisses  the  children  tenderly,  and 
sends  his  love  to  the  family.  I  beg  you  to  present 
my  compliments  to  her,  and  not  to  forget  that  I  will 
always  remain  your  affectionate  and  devoted 

He  Camus." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Robert  Patterson  at  Dover — His  letter  from  that  place — Je- 
rome Bonaparte  again — Mr.  Monroe  and  Mr.  Patterson — 
Madame  Bonaparte  going  to  the  Continent — Her  letter  to  her 
father — Mr.  Patterson  writes  from  London — Another  letter 
from  Madame  Bonaparte — Marchioness  of  Donnegal — General 
Tuerreau — Mr.  Monroe — Deceitfulness  of  the  French — Dr. 
Gamier  is  deceptive — He  recommends  Madame  Bonaparte  to 
go  home — Jerome  does  the  same — She  goes  when  ready — Le 
Camus  again — Xapoleon's  speech — Jerome  at  Malmaison — He 
writes  to  the  Emperor — The  Emperor's  reply — Jerome's  mar- 
riage has  no  existence — Mr.  Mcllhiny  of  London — Madame 
Bonaparte  and  child  embark  for  home — Captain  Bentalou 
writes  again — Amusing  letters — Jerome  dejected — His  "little 
girl"  affair — ''  My  dear  little  wife" — Queen  of  Etruria  spurns 
Jerome — His  second  marriage — Jerome  Napoleon  Bonaparte — 
His  death — His  letter. 

We  next  find  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  at  Dover,  Eng- 
land, a  seaport  on  the  strait  of  Dover,  opposite 
Calais,  France.  He  is  not  far  from  Lille,  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  George  Matthew  Patterson.  Dating 
August  13th  1805,  he  addresses  a  letter  to  Messrs. 
William  Patterson  &  Sons,  Baltimore : — 

"Gentlemen,"  says  he,  "I  have  the  pleasure  of 
informing  you  of  Captain  Duncan's  arrival.  He 
came  in  consequence  of  orders  to  that  effect  that  I 
had  given  to  one  or  two  pilots  of  this  place  for  him. 
It  is  my  intention  to  send  the  Robert  home  to  you, 
and  you  may  make  your  insurance  accordingly.  She 
has  $60,000  on  board.  I  believe  we  will  put  on 
board  fifteen  or  twenty  tons  of  coal,  and  subject  her 

(205) 


206         THE  B ONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MA RRIA GE. 

thereby  to  a  tonnage  duty  in  order  to  get  a  regular 
clearance  to  Baltimore. 

"  It  was  with  infinite  satisfaction  that  I  learned 
by  a  letter  of  the  27th  July  from  S.  &  H.  of  their 
having  landed  the  dollars  from  on  board  the  Balti- 
more in  conformity  to  my  directions,  which  it  seems 
they  have  got  rid  of  without  loss.  She  was  to  have 
gone  into  Lisbon  in  a  ballast  of  brick  and  iron  for 
speoie.  I  have  written  to  that  place  to  have  her 
despatched  from  thence  to  Baltimore.  Before  I  knew 
of  her  specie  being  landed,  I  had  given  similar  orders 
as  those  for  Dunkin  to  the  pilots  to  send  her  here 
for  my  orders.  If  she  does  come  into  this  place,  we 
will  consider  how  far  it  is  prudent  to  send  her  to 
Lisbon  for  specie  ;  but  let  her  sail  from  what  port  in 
Europe  she  may  after  I  can  convey  instructions  to 
them,  it  must  be  for  Baltimore,  as  it  will  not  answer 
to  let  her  proceed  to  India. 

"  Captain  Spaiford,  in  the  London  packet,  expe- 
rienced some  little  damage  in  a  gale  of  wind,  and  put 
into  the  Downs  to  repair  it,  on  or  about  the  7th  inst. 
He  got  under  weigh  again,  but  was  immediately 
boarded  by  an  officer  from  one  of  His  Majesty's  gun 
brigs.  His  papers  have  been  sent  to  London  to  see 
whether  they  can  do  anything  with  her ;  they  are  all 
correct,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  she  will  be 
immediately  given  up. 

"  We  are  still  without  any  information  from  Jerome 
that  can  be  depended  upon.  All  idea  of  visiting  the 
continent  has  been  renounced  from,  I  think,  a  just 
apprehension  that  it  would  revive  the  passions  of  his 


THE  B  ON  A  PARTE-  PA  TTERS  ON  31  A  RRIA  GE.        207 

brother,  as  it  would  be,  in  some  measure,  opposing 
him ;  and  particularly  as  such  a  step  would  have  a 
tendency  to  counteract  any  exertions  that  Jerome  may 
be  making. 

"  I  have  mentioned,  in  my  former  letters,  that  all 
vessels  fallen  in  with  his  majesty's  cruisers  coming 
froin  America  with  cargoes  which  they  had  brought 
from  either  of  the  Indies,  are  sent  in  for  adjudication. 
Their  having  landed  their  cargoes  in  the  United  States 
is  of  no  avail,  as  they  allege  here  it  is  a  mere  eva- 
sion ;  and  that  they  must  consider  the  voyage  to 
Europe  as  a  continuation  of  the  former  one. 
"  Yours,  affectionately, 

"Robert  Patterson." 

"P.  S.  Mr.  Monroe  and  myself  had  some  conver- 
sation whether  it  would  not  be  as  well,  if  not  better, 
that  Betsy  should  return  home  ;  as  it  is  uncertain 
when  the  affair  will  be  brought  to  issue.  I  return  to- 
morrow to  London,  and  if  we  determine  on  it  will 
embark  in  the  Robert.  I  do  not,  however,  think  it 
probable  we  shall  return  this  winter.  She  and  her 
son  are  well." 

This  letter  came  by  the  ship  Warren  via  New  York, 
and  bears  the  post-mark  "New  York,  October  5." 

Next  in  the  order  of  time  comes  the  following  short 
letter  in  the  handwriting  of  Madame  Bonaparte,  di- 
rected to  William  Patterson,  Esq.,  Baltimore.  We 
give  it  in  full,  in  every  particular  : — 

"  August  15th  1805. 
"Dear  Sir,— 

"  Our  plans  are  changed  with  respect  to  Mrs.  An- 


208          THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

derson — that  is  to  say,  Mrs.  Anderson  does  not  mean 
to  go  until  next  spring ;  therefore  I  do  not  send  some 
things  to  Mama  that  I  mentioned  in  my  letter  to  her  ; 
but  by  the  first  good  opportunity  they  shall  be  sent. 
We  have  just  heard  that  Bonaparte  is  going  to  Paris 
for  a  few  days. 

"Eliza." 

To  this  letter,  as  to  others,  she  places  the  five  let- 
ters first  in  order  in  the  name  of  Elizabeth.  The 
time  this  letter  arrived  in  Baltimore  is  unknown.  As 
it  bears  no  American  post-mark,  it  must  have  come 
as  an  enclosure. 

On  the  16th  Mr.  Patterson  is  in  London.  On  that 
day  he  wrote  a  business-letter  to  the  house  in  Balti- 
more, which  is  of  no  interest  here,  and  the  following 
private  letter  to  his  father,  which  we  copy  in  full : — 

"  London,  16th  August  1805. 
"  Dear  Sir,— 

"  Since  writing  the  house  this  morning,  we  have 
prevailed  on  Mrs.  Anderson  to  remain  here,  as  it  is 
possible  I  may  find  it  necessary  or  beneficial  to  go  to 
France ;  in  which  case  it  would  be  more  proper  that 
my  sister  should  not  be  left  alone. 

"I  received  to-day  a  letter  from  Mr.  O'Meally, 
dated  2d  August,  from  Paris.  He  mentions  that  Je- 
rome was  expected  the  next  week  there  ;  but  that  he 
would  not  remain  more  than  eight  or  ten  days.  They 
were  fitting  up  a  house  for  him. 

"  Yours,  respectfully, 

"  Robert  Patterson." 


THE  B  OX  A  PAR  TE-  PA  TTERS  ON  M  ARRIAGE.         209 

Next  we  have  a  letter  from  Madame  Bonaparte,  in 
which  she  does  not  fail  to  remember  General  Tuer- 
reau,  the  French  Minister  at  Washington,  and  other 
gentlemen,  who  appear  to  be  conversant  with  her 
affairs.  She  appears  to  think,  as  well  she  may,  that 
deception  has  been  practised  upon  her ;  and  that 
without  a  real  friend  in  Europe,  she  stood  alone.  We 
copy  the  letter  in  full.  It  was  addressed  "  William 
Patterson,  Esq.,  Baltimore." 

"September  3d  1805. 
"  Dear  Sir  — 

"  The  John  &  Joseph  sails  to-morrow,  and  although 
I  have  nothing  new  to  write,  I  cannot  resist  sending 
you  a  few  lines.  Prudence,  who  was  of  no  earthly 
use,  sailed  in  the  Baltimore.  I  wrote  you  by  her  that 
we  had  no  letters  from  Bonaparte — but  Dr.  Gamier 
wrote  to  me  from  Genoa  the  15th  of  July,  advising 
me  to  return  to  America,  and  that  Bonaparte  desired 
it ;  and  that  I  would  not  see  him  before  a  year  or 
eighteen  months.  As  Bonaparte  did  not  write  him- 
self, we  are  disposed  to  think  that  Mr.  Gamier  wrote 
the  letter  of  his  own  accord,  and  indeed  the  letter 
bears  all  the  marks  of  being  a  deception. 

"  I  told  you,  likewise,  that  an  intimate  friend  of 
the  Marchioness  of  Donnegal,  residing  at  Genoa,  had 
seen  Bonaparte  on  the  29th  of  June.  He  requested 
that  person  to  inform  me  that  his  sentiments  towards 
me  were  not  changed ;  and  that  he  was  still  as  much 
attached  to  me  as  ever.  The  Marchioness  of  Donne- 
gal is  at  a  watering-place,  Tunbridge  Wells.  She 
has  written  to  me. 


210         THE  BONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RRIA  GE. 

"  I  have  written  three  times  to  Lucien  Bonaparte, 
but  have  never  been  able  to  get  a  letter  conveyed  to 
Jerome.  I  told  jou  likewise  of  the  proposition  that 
Le  Camus  brought  to  Robert ;  but  he  said  Bonaparte 
desired  me  to  keep  quiet  for  some  time,  and  he  would 
try  to  effect  something. 

"  Mr.  Monroe  thinks  I  had  better  remain  here  some 
time — indeed,  the  climate  agrees  very  well  with  me, 
and  I  have  no  objection  to  staying  as  long  as  you 
please.  We  live  extremely  retired,  and  I  spend  as 
little  money  as  possible.  We  have  no  letters  from 
you  since  our  arrival  here. 

"  Yours,  affectionately, 

"Eliza." 

"  P.  S.  I  mentioned  to  you  before  to  beware  of 
Tuerreau,  the  French  Minister.  He  will  write  every- 
thing you  say.  The  French  are  very  intriguing  and 
deceitful.  Likewise  be  on  your  guard  before  Mr. 
O'Donnell,  who,  though  a  very  good  man,  repeats 
everything  to  his  wife.  This  I  know  to  be  a  fact.  I 
am  very  circumspect  here." 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Robert  Patterson, 
enclosing  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Napo- 
leon, the  Emperor,  to  his  brother  Jerome,  will  fully 
explain  the  letters  of  Le  Camus  and  Madame  Bona- 
parte, which  have  just  been  brought  to  the  notice  of 
the  reader,  the  former  in  the  preceding,  and  the  latter 
in  the  current  chapter. 

"  London,  5th  September  1805. 
"Dear  Sir,— 

"  Since  we  have  been  in  this  country,  the  only  in- 


THE  BOXAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         211 

telligence  we  have  got  from  the  Continent  is  by  a 
letter  from  Dr.  Gamier,  dated  at  Genoa.  In  that  he 
recommends  Betsy's  going  home,  and  gives  this  ad- 
vice in  the  name  of  her  husband.  But  as  we  cannot 
conceive  that  Jerome  would  direct  the  doctor  to  write 
on  a  subject  of  this  nature,  and  as  we  have  some 
reason  to  think  the  doctor  is  not  entitled  to  much 
regard  in  consequence  of  his  conduct  in  Paris,  we 
are  determined  not  to  act  on  anything  coming  from 
him. 

"  I  mentioned  in  my  letters  from  Amsterdam  last 
spring  that  Le  Camus  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter  which 
the  Emperor  had  written  to  Jerome,  and  which  the 
latter  had  given  him  with  a  view  that  it  should  be 
shown  his  wife,  in  order  to  enable  her,  I  suppose,  to 
judge  of  the  situation  with  his  family.  As  the  pres- 
ent is  a  good  opportunity,  I  will  repeat  the  substance 
of  it  here,  which  is  as  follows.  The  Emperor  begins 
iving  he  will  never  acknowledge  the  marriage, 
and  directs  Jerome  to  write  his  wife  to  return  to  her 
family.  On  condition  that  she  will,  and  does  not  as- 
sume the  name  of  Bonaparte,  to  tvhich  he  says  she 
has  no  right  to,  he  says  he  will  direct  his  minister  in 
America  to  allow  her  a  pension  of  60,000  francs  per 
annum. 

"  I  am  very  desirous  of  knowing  whether  we  ought 
to  accept  of  any  terms  in  the  event  of  a  recognisal 
being  impossible  by  a  new  marriage  on  his  part.  My 
own  opinion  is  never  to  hear  of  a  settlement  without 
his  friends  should  force  him  to  marry  again ;  and  that 
in  no  case  ought  she  to  give  up  her  name.     If  her 


212         THE  BONAPAR TE-PA TTERSOX  MA  URIAGE. 

husband  cares  to  make  any  settlement  on  her,  it  is 
well  enough  ;  but  the  principal  would  be  better  than 
a  precarious  annual  payment,  if  it  could  be  had. 

"  I  really  see  no  prospect  of  the  Emperor's  becom- 
ing reconciled,  and  do  not  think  it  will  be  of  any  kind 
of  use  to  wait  longer  than  the  spring,  at  which  time 
we  will  embark  on  our  return.  If  any  of  your  ves- 
sels are  in  the  way,  we  will  return  by  one  of  them. 

"  Betsy  and  her  son  are  both  well.  He  is  really  a 
fine  large  fellow.  I  was  a  little  indisposed  when  I 
arrived  in  this  country,  but  am  now  perfectly  recov- 
ered.    Yours  affectionately,     Robert  Patterson. 

"  P.  S.  It  is  probable  that  I  will  repair  to  Paris  in 
the  course  of  the  winter — that  is  if  there  is  any  pros- 
pect of  doing  anything." 

This  letter  was  sent  by  the  vessel  "  John  &  Joseph," 
Captain  Manning,  and  the  enclosure,  with  the  pref- 
atory remark  of  Mr.  Patterson,  reads  as  follows  : — 

"  On  Jerome's  arrival  at  M — ,  he  wished  to  have 
seen  his  brother,  but  the  latter  would  not  receive  him. 
He  was  however  told  to  write,  which  Jerome  did,  just 
mentioning  his  arrival.  An  answer  was  returned  in 
substance  merely  as  follows  : — 

"  I  have  received  your  letter  of  this  morning.  There 
are  no  faults  that  you  have  committed  which  may  not 
be  effaced  in  my  eyes  by  a  sincere  repentance.  Your 
marriage  is  null  both  in  a  religious  and  legal  point  of 
vieiv.  I  will  never  acknowledge  it.  Write  to  Miss 
Patterson  to  return  to  the  United  States ;  and  tell  her 
it  is  not  possible  to  give  things  another  turn.     On  con- 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         213 

dition  of  her  going  to  America,  I  will  allow  her  a  pen- 
sion during  her  life  of  60,000  francs  per  year,  pro- 
vided she  does  not  take  the  name  of  my  family,  to  which 
she  has  no  right,  her  marriage  having  no  existence.^ 

This  paper  is.  marked  "  copy  and  translation"  in 
the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Robert  Patterson,  and  it  is 
the  "  piece"  which  Bonaparte  "spoke."  The  abbre- 
viation M — ,  in  the  above  is  Malinaison. 

We  will  now  introduce  to  the  reader,  Mr.  James  Mc- 
Ilhiny,  of  London,  Mr.  Patterson's  commercial  corres- 
pondent in  that  city.  Dating  London,  16th  Sep- 
tember 1805,  he  writes  :  "  Dear  Sir — Your  much  es- 
teemed favor  of  the  18th  of  July,  I  received  a  few 
days  ago,  and  have  noted  the  contents.  Madame 
Bonaparte  and  her  child,  her  brother  Robert,  and 
Mrs.  Anderson  will  embark  in  a  few  days  on  board 
the  brig  Mars,  Captain  Murphy,  which  will  soon  be 
ready  to  sail  from  hence  for  Baltimore.  I  could  have 
wished  it  had  not  been  so  late  in  the  season,  but  still  I 
am  in  hopes  from  the  vessel  being  a  fast  sailer,  that 
she  will  be  safe  with  you  before  the  north-west  winds 
become  severe  on  your  coast.  The  child  as  well  as  its 
mother  are  in  a  very  good  state  of  health,  which  is  a 
fortunate  circumstance,  as  I  fear  they  will  not  find 
themselves  as  comfortably  accommodated  as  they 
were  on  board  of  the  Erin — the  cabin  of  this  vessel 
being  very  small.  However,  they  are  determined  to 
go,  although  I  believe  they  have  written  to  you  not 
long  since  that  they  had  concluded  to  remain  here  all 
the  winter,  and  return  to  America  in  the  spring,  hav- 
ing given  up  all  idea  of  going  to  the  continent,  not 


214  THE  BONAPARTE-PA TTERSOX  MA R R1AGF- 

having  had  any  encouragement  from  the  party  on 
that  side  of  the  water ;  and  indeed  I  have  always 
been  of  opinion  that  if  anything  can  be  done,  Amer- 
ica will  be  the  best  place  to  have  matters  arranged; 
and  at  all  events  she  must,  I  think,  be  more  comfort- 
ably situated  with  her  relations  and  friends  in  Amer- 
ica, than  she  could  be  in  a  strange  country. 

"  Robert  no  doubt  has  advised  you  of  the  important 
changes  he  has  made  in  some  of  the  voyages  you  had 
planned — finding  it  absolutely  necessary  in  con- 
sequence of  the  rigid  measures  recently  gone  into  by 
this  government  to  suppress  that  valuable  branch 
of  American  commerce.  It  would  appear  now  how- 
ever that  they  were  relaxing  in  some  degree,  and  will 
let  all  pass  except  where  the  ship  is  bound  direct  to 
or  from  the  mother  country  to  the  colonies. 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped  the  American  government  will 
take  some  measures  to  have  that  part  of  your  valu- 
able trade  put  on  a  more  respectable  footing,  and  that 
their  flag  in  future  will  not  meet  with  so  many  de- 
grading insults  as  it  has  hitherto  met  with. 

"  All  accounts  we  have  recently  from  agricultural 
societies  as  well  as  individuals  state  the  crops  gener- 
ally throughout  Europe  to  be  very  good;  conse- 
quently the  price  of  grain  has  been  on  the  decline ; 
so  much  so,  that  there  will  not  be  any  chance  for 
Americans  finding  a  market  for  their  wheat  or  flour 
in  any  part  of  Europe,  unless  the  destruction  and 
waste  that  must  occur  from  the  immense  armies  that 
are  now  taking  the  field  once  more  on  the  continent  to 
ravage  and  destroy  one  another,  may  have  some  effect 


THE  BONAPARTE-PA TTERSON  MARRIA GE.        215 

to  keep  up  the  prices  of  provisions;  for  there  is  not 
any  manner  of  doubt  that  the  combined  powers  will 
make  some  great  effort  to  try  to  reduce  the  gigantic 
power  of  Bonaparte ;  and  at  present  it  is  difficult  to 
say  what  the  result  of  so  great  a  contest  may  be ;  but 
this  I  may  venture  to  risk  as  my  opinion  that  a  general 
peace  is  yet  far  distant,  and  indeed  I  think  ere  that 
event  takes  place  you  will  hear  of  a  wonderful  change 
in  the  political  affairs  in  some  one  of  the  two  great 
contending  powers ;  for  you  may  be  assured  that 
this  country  while  under  the  present  government 
will  never  make  peace  with  Bonaparte,  unless  he 
relinquishes  the  whole  or  the  greater  part  of  his  con- 
quered dominions ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  we  all 
know  his  determined  and  unlimited  ambition,  so  that 
there  must  some  great  and  unforeseen  disaster  befall 
some  one  of  the  parties,  before  a  peace  can  be  made." 

This  letter  was  addressed  to  William  Patterson,  Esq., 
Baltimore,  and  endorsed  "  Ship  Huron  via  New  York." 

On  the  21st  of  September,  Mr.  Mcllhiny  writes 
again  to  Mr.  Patterson: — 

"  Dear  Sir — I  had  the  pleasure  of  addressing  you  a 
few  days  ago,  the  chief  object  of  which  was  to  advise 
you  of  the  sudden  resolution  of  Robert  and  Madame 
Bonaparte  to  embark  for  America,  and  that  they  had 
engaged  to  go  in  the  brig  Mars,  Captain  Murphy, 
from  hence  for  Baltimore.  Since  then  we  have  been 
busily  engaged  in  getting  things  ready  for  their  de- 
parture, and  was  in  hopes  that  by  this  time  they 
would  have  been  ready  to  sail ;  but  from  some  unfore- 


216         THE  BONAPAR TE-PA TTERSON  31ARRIA GE. 

seen  occurrence  at  the  custom-house  respecting  some 
things  belonging  to  the  captain  the  brig  was  prevented 
clearing  out.  The  matter  is  now  however  finally 
arranged,  and  I  see  nothing  to  prevent  their  going  on 
board  on  the  25th  inst.  at  Gravesend,  where  they 
intend  to  embark,  and  at  which  time  the  brig  will  be 
ready  and  clear  to  sail  from  that  place  direct  for 
Baltimore." 

This  letter  came  on  the  ship  Enterprise  via  New 
York. 

On  the  9th  of  October  1805  we  have  another  hear- 
ing from  Captain  Bentalou  in  Paris.  After  writing  a 
long  letter  to  Mr.  William  Patterson  concerning  some 
bales  of  merchandise  about  which  there  was  some  mis- 
understanding, he  adds  to  his  letter  the  following 
postscript : — 

"  Enclosed  in  the  last  letter  from  Robert  in  Lon- 
don, I  found  two  letters  for  Jerome,  one  I  believe  was 
from  yourself,  and  the  other  from  his  wife.  Jerome 
arrived  here  the  latter  end  of  last  week ;  and  deter- 
mined at  all  hazards,  I  enclosed  them  under  one  cover, 
directed  them  in  the  form  required,  and,  accompanied 
by  my  servant  last  Monday,  I  myself  went  to  his 
loor,  and  saw  the  packet  delivered  to  his  own  porter ; 
\o  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  he  received  them  on 
hat  morning.  I  have  not  since  heard  anything  from 
bim,  nor  do  I  believe  he  would  dare  have  an  interview 
with  me.  Should  he,  however,  communicate  a  wish 
of  the  kind,  notwithstanding  the  persecution  I  have 
already  experienced,  I  would  brave  all  danger  to  act 
the  part  of  the  friend  I  profess  to  be." 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         217 

On  the  17th  October,  Captain  Bentalou  writes 
another  letter  from  Paris  which  he  directs  in  the  fol- 
lowing words :  "  Robert  Patterson,  Esq.,  or  in  his 
absence  William  Patterson,  Senr.,  Esq.,  Merchant, 
Baltimore."  The  writer  says,  "  In  all  conscience 
your  silence  is  beyond  all  reason,  and  my  anxiety  is 
as  great  as  can  be  well  imagined  to  know  where  you 
now  are,  and  whether  it  is  true  that  your  sister  is 
gone,  as  we  have  been  told  by  a  lieutenant  of  our 
Navy,  who  says  whilst  he  was  in  London  he  saw  you 
daily  and  became  intimate  with  you.  I  notwithstand- 
ing doubt  the  fact  much  because  I  think  the  season 
too  far  advanced,  and  moreover  suppose  that  had  that 
been  the  case,  you  would  ere  this  have  returned  to 
your  post ;  and  were  you  there,  if  not  to  me,  you 
surely  would  have  wrote  to  somebody  else  here. 

"On  the  16th  ultimo,  I  received  the  last  from  you, 
dated  the  2d  of  August,  with  the  two  enclosed.  The 
person  to  whom  they  were  directed  lately  arrived  here, 
and  the  moment  I  found  out  his  domicil,  I  enclosed 
the  two  letters  under  a  blank  cover,  directed  them 
properly,  and  on  Monday  the  7th  inst.  attended  by 
my  servant,  I  saw  him  deliver  them  to  his  porter ; 
and  as  he  occupied  a  house  to  himself,  there  could  be 
no  mistake,  and  no  doubt  but  that  he  must  have  re- 
ceived them  on  that  morning.  I  have  since  learned 
from  a  lady  present  that,  on  the  next  day  in  the  even- 
ing, at  one  of  his  sister's,  he  appeared  extremely  de- 
jected and  pensive.  Everybody,  she  said,  took  notice 
of  it ;  and  whether  the  receipt  of  those  letters  were 
the  cause  of  it,  is  best  known  to  himself;  but  I  have, 
14 


218         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

and  will  take  care  not  to  let  that  lady,  or  anybody 
else  here,  know  anything  about  it.  I  have  not  since 
heard  anything  more  transpire  about  him,  but  I  am 
on  the  watch,  and  promise  you  that  if  either  himself 
or  any  of  his  attendants  have  any  wish  to  see  me, 
and  let  me  know  it,  I  will  brave  any  danger  for  an 
interview  which  would  be  as  gratifying  to  my  feelings 
as  could  possibly  be  to  you  or  your  relatives ;  but 
if  lie  really  has  any  inclination  of  the  kind,  I  fear  he 
knows  himself  to  be  so  closely  observed  that  he  will 
not  dare  to  risk  anything  of  the  kind.  Rewbell  is  no 
more  here,  and  I  regret  it  very  much,  because  from 
their  old  acquaintance,  he  would  probably  have  seen 
him,  and  no  doubt  his  attendants,  frequently,  and 
through  that  channel  I  could  have  come  to  something 
direct ;  but  deprived  of  that  safe  intermediary,  I  do 
not  for  the  present  know  any  other  person  so  suitable 
with  whom  I  could  safely  confide.  I  have  however 
been  told  by  one  who  pretends  to  know  it  from  the 
right  quarter,  that  when  his  brother  first  saw  him  he 
addressed  him  thus  : — 

"  '  So,  sir,  you  are  the  first  of  the  family  who  shame- 
fully abandoned  his  post.  It  will  require  many 
splendid  actions  to  wipe  off  that  stain  from  your  rep- 
utation. As  to  your  love  affair  with  your  little  girl, 
1  do  not  regard  it.' 

"Whatever  degree  of  credit  or  consequence  you 
may  be  inclined  to  give  to  that  report,  I  beg  of  you 
to  conceal  it  from  your  sister.  For  what  exploits  he 
intends  him  for,  it  is  not  yet  known,  nor  can  it  be 
foreseen ;  and  if  what  is  said  is  true  it  would  appear 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.  219 

that  he  will  remain  here  unemployed  this  winter.  He 
is  now  in  the  house  of  one  of  his  absent  sisters,  and  it 
is  asserted  that  he  will  shortly  take  possession  of  the 
one  lately  owned  by  his  brother-in-law,  the  entrance 
to  which  is  by  an  arch  which  you  had  in  view  from 
the  window  of  the  apartment  you  last  occupied  here. 
It  was  probably  thought  too  small  for  the  other,  as  a 
much  larger  one  is  preparing  for  him. 

"After  having  written  the  foregoing  to  you  by 
Russell,  I  am  informed  by  James  Mcllhiny  that  he 
has  this  day  received  a  letter  from  you  which  he  has 
not  thought  proper  to  communicate,  and  barely  tells 
me  that  you  and  your  sister  had  embarked,  and  must 
by  this  time  be  half  way  home.  Taking  his  word  for 
it,  I  will  not  send  this  as  I  intended  it,  but  as  I  under- 
stand that  Waddle  is  not  yet  gone,  I  will  this  moment 
go  to  General  Armstrong,  and  if  in  time  I  will 
request  him  to  insert  this  with  his  despatches." 

On  the  18th  Mr.  Bentalou  continues  :  "  The  depar- 
ture of  Mr.  "Waddle  having  been  from  day  to  day 
delayed,  affords  me  the  opportunity  of  adding  this  to 
my  two  last  of  9th  and  16th,  all  going  by  the  same 
conveyance.  By  this  however  I  hasten  to  impart  to 
you  much  more  pleasing  intelligence  than  I  were  able 
to  do  by  my  former.  It  comes  to  me  from  a  lady 
much  in  our  interest,  and  from  whom  I  expect  occa- 
sionally to  receive  much  useful  information ;  and  from 
her  I  have  learned  that  last  evening,  at  a  select  com- 
pany collected  at  one  of  his  sisters,  where  my  inform- 
ant was,  and  our  man  too,  after  a  concert,  dancing  was 
introduced;   he  was  pressed,  and  as  my  friend  is  a 


220         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

good  dancer,  he  took  her  for  his  partner,  and  in  the 
of  course  of  conversation  spoke  of  his  wife  several 
times,  always  calling  her  by  that  endearing  name,  and 
relating  occurrences  of  a  nature  most  affecting. 
Among  the  rest  he  said : — 

"  'He  would  for  ever  remember  the  sliipivreck  tliey 
had  encountered  together.  How  well  on  that  trying 
occasion  she  did  behave  I  How,  when  danger  was  over, 
he  pressed  her  into  his  arms!' 

"  In  short,  my  dear  friend  tells  me  that  those  who 
are  most  habitually  in  his  company  all  agree  in  saying, 
that  he  is  almost  always  talking  about  her,  delighting 
in  the  recollection  of  her  good  qualities,  and  never 
mentions  her  name  without  saying — 

"  '  My  wife  !     My  dear  little  wife  V 

"  From  a  heart  apparently  so  well  disposed,  I  think 
some  ultimate  good  may  be  reasonably  prognosticated. 
Should  that  be  the  case,  I  promise  you  that  no  man 
in  the  world  would  more  sincerely  rejoice  than  your 
ever  devoted  friend  and  well-wisher." 

We  have  another  letter  from  Mr.  Mcllhiny  of  Lon- 
don, and  though  it  is  long,  yet  it  is  full  of  interest 
from  beginning  to  end.  Dating  28th  October  1805, 
he  writes  to  "  William  Patterson,  Esq.,  Baltimore :" — 

"  My  last  was  advising  you  of  the  intended  depart- 
ure of  your  son  Robert  and  his  sister,  with  her  child, 
from  this  country.  Since  then  I  have  received  your 
favor  of  the  9th  of  August,  covering  letters  for  Robert 
and  Madame  Bonaparte,  which  were  a  few  days  ago 
sent  on  to  Liverpool,  with  a  number  of  other  letters 
for  Robert  •  to  be  put  on  board  the  Birmingham  for 
Baltimore. 


THE  BONAPARTE-PA  TTERSON  MA  RBIA GE.         221 

"  The  Mars,  Captain  Murphy,  with  that  part  of 
your  family  I  have  already  mentioned,  went  through 
The  Doivns  on  the  27th  ult.,  which  is  the  last  we  have 
heard  of  them  ;  but  as  the  winds  have  since  been  to 
the  eastward,  with  but  little  variation,  we  have  every 
reason  to  think  and  hope  that  ere  this  they  are  safe 
with  you. 

"  There  has  not  been  any  letters  or  messages  for 
Madame  Bonaparte  from  the  continent  since  her  de- 
parture ;  nor  can  I  throw  any  further  light  on  that 
unfortunate  affair,  only  to  repeat  my  opinion  merely 
that  they  are  separated  for  ever.  What  confirms  me  in 
that  opinion  on  that  head  is  Jerome's  coming  into  the 
measures  proposed  by  the  Emperor.  I  believe  he  is 
now  at  Paris,  and  from  what  I  can  learn  from  several 
American  gentlemen  recently  from  that  place,  he  has 
been  created  a  prince,  and  it  was  generally  understood 
there  that  overtures  had  been  made  to  the  Queen  of 
Etruria  to  marry  him,  but  that  she  spurned  at  the 
idea  ivith  the  greatest  contempt,  and  has  said  she 
would  in  preference  abdicate  her  crown. 

"  The  war  has  commenced  on  the  continent  with 
uncommon  vigor,  particularly  on  the  part  of  the 
French  ;  and  Bonaparte  goes  on  with  his  usual  good 
luck.  The  present  moment  is  big  with  great  events  ! 
The  next  mail  from  the  continent  will  no  doubt  bring 
us  the  news  of  a  decisive  victory  on  the  part  of  the 
French,  but  whether  that  will  tend  to  bring  about  an 
immediate  peace  with  France  and  Austria  is  a  matter 
as  yet  not  easy  to  determine,  the  Russian  armies  not 
having  yet  got  on  the  field  of  battle.     At  all  events 


222         THE  B  ON  A  PARTE-PA  TTERSON  MARRIA  GE. 

however  I  think  you  may  safely  conclude  that  a  gen- 
eral peace  will  not  be  the  result  of  anything  that  may 
be  done  this  campaign  ;  and  that  there  are  some  years 
yet  to  come  before  peace  is  restored  between  this 
country  and  France." 

On  the  31st  of  July  it  was  published  in  London 
that  "  accounts  from  Genoa  of  the  23d  of  June  state 
that  yesterday  morning  the  Princess  Eliza  and  other 
distinguished  personages  went  on  board  the  Pomona, 
commanded  by  Jerome  Bonaparte.  They  were  saluted 
on  their  arrival  and  departure  by  a  double  salute 
of  artillery.  Jerome  is  reconciled  to  the  Em- 
peror his  brother.  The  Princess  Eliza  exerted  her- 
self very  much  to  effect  the  reconciliation.  Jerome, 
according  to  reports,  will  shortly  be  made  the  Arch- 
Duke  of  Genoa." 

We  have  not  been  able  to  find  on  record  the  time 
of  entry  of  the  ship  Mars  at  the  port  of  Baltimore. 
The  newspapers  appear  to  be  silent  on  the  subject, 
but  Mr.  Mcllhiny  dates  her  arrival  about  the  28th 
of  October.  Madame  Bonaparte  however  is  safe  in 
Baltimore  again,  and  but  for  the  sable  shadows,  now 
and  then  crossing  the  radiant  disk  of  her  young  life, 
she  would  be  happy. 

In  the  spring  of  1806,  Mr.  Le  Camus  turns  up  in 
Cayenne,  and  writes  another  letter,  from  which  we 
copy  a  paragraph.  Addressing  Mr.  Patterson  in 
Baltimore,  and  dating  "May  the  21st  1806,"  he 
writes  : —  "  I  enclose  a  letter  for  Mrs.  Bonaparte.  I 
wish  I  could  convince  you  of  what  I  have  already  told 
you  in  my  former  letters.     I   feel   how  uneasy  you 


THE  B  ONAPAR  TE-PA  TTERSOX  MARRIA  GE.        223 

may  be  in  the  present  circumstances ;  but  if  you  be- 
lieve there  are  on  earth  moral  honor  and  delicacy, 
you  have  no  reason  to  be  alarmed." 

"We  have  a  letter  from  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  dated 
"  Boston,  8th  of  September  1806,  from  which  we  copy 
a  short  sentence.  He  writes,  '  after  the  many  news- 
paper accounts  I  have  seen  respecting  Mr.  Bona- 
parte's squadron,  I  expect  to  find  him  with  you  on 
my  return." 

Dating,  "  November  21st  1806,"  William  Patterson, 
Esq.,  Madame  Bonaparte's  father,  writes  to  W.  C. 
Nicholas,  Esq.,  of  Virginia,  and  from  his  letter  we 
copy  the  following  : —  "  You  may  have  seen  by  the 
last  accounts  from  France,  published  in  the  newspa- 
pers, that  Jerome  Bonaparte  was  restored  to  favor  by 
his  brother ;  and  that  a  second  marriage  had,  or  was 
about  to  take  place.  We  have  no  information  on  this 
subject  but  what  appears  in  the  papers,  and  I  am  led 
-to  believe  that  it  must  be  well  founded ;  for  I  do  not 
conceive  that  the  Emperor  would  be  reconciled  to  Je- 
rome on  any  other  terms.  It  differs  however  very 
widely  from  his  letters  to  Betsy  when  he  was  lately 
on  our  coast ;  and  from  every  other  part  of  his  con- 
duct since  he  left  this  country.  But  the  temptation, 
in  the  situation  he  was  placed  in,  was  perhaps  too  great 
for  him,  or  any  other  young  man,  to  resist." 

We  have  some  more  news  from  Jerome  coming  by 
way  of  New  York,  which  Mr.  William  Neilson,  Jr.,  of 
that  city  communicates  to  Madame  Bonaparte's  father 
under  date  of  April  21st  1806.  "When  I  called  on 
the  captain  respecting  the  picture,"  writes  Mr.  Neil- 


224         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

son,  "  he  entered  into  conversation  with  me  respect- 
ing your  son-in-law ;  and  informed  me  that  he  had 
dined  with  him  several  times — and  that  at  all  times 
he  expressed  great  affection  for  your  daughter.  He 
spoke  publicly  of  his  determination  of  adhering 
strictly  to  his  marriage  ;  and  that  he  would  not  be 
considered  a  ~French.-man  if  his  wife  was  not  consid- 
ered a  French-w oman.  The  captain  says  Prince  Je- 
rome has  become  very  steady,  and  behaves  with  pro- 
priety and  like  a  man." 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  and  the  fact  that  his  own 
legal  wife  was  still  living  in  Baltimore,  his  brother, 
the  Emperor  of  France,  caused  Jerome  to  be  married, 
a  second  time,  to  Frederica  Catharina,  daughter  of 
the  King  of  Wurtemberg,  on  the  12th  of  August 
1807  !     On  this  subject  we  have  nothing  to  say. 

Madame  Bonaparte,  first  and  only  wife  of  Jerome, 
still  lives  in  Baltimore,  ripe  in  years  and  in  honors ; 
but  her  husband  is  gone  to  his  reckoning.  The  reader 
will  however  inquire  of  us,  where  is  the  little  boy  of 
Camberwell  ?  We  reply  by  saying,  he  lived  in  Balti- 
more, a  highly  respectable  and  honored  citizen  of  the 
United  States.  He  was  a  good  man,  and  the  chamber 
where  he  met  his  fate  was  therefore  "privileged."  An 
imposing  granite  obelisk,  erected  within  the  enclosure 
of  "Loudon  Park  Cemetery,"  near  Baltimore,  marks 
the  spot  where  his  remains  peacefully  repose.  From 
it  we  copy  the  inscription  : — 


THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE.         225 

"  Sacred 

To  the  Memory  of 

Jerome  Napoleon  Bonaparte, 

Born 

July  7th  1805. 

Died 

June  17th  1870, 

Aged  65. 

Requiescat  in  pace." 

A  tender  memorial  of  his  youth  is  preserved — a 
letter  to  his  "  Grandpapa," — and  we  give  it  in  full, 
■with  a  translation : — 

11  Seminaire  de  Mont  St.  Mary,  Fcvrier  1  1817. 

u  Mon  Cher  Grand-papa— Je  ne  vous  ai  jamais  6cris  une  let- 
tre  en  francais  parceque  vous  ne  l'entendez  pas ;  mais  pour 
vous  donner  une  preuve  de  ma  bonne  volonte  d'apprendre  le 
francais,  je  prends  ma  plume  pour  cela.  Je  veux  vous  donner 
une  preuve  de  mon  amitie  pour  vous  en  ecrivant  une  lettre  en 
francais.  Comment  vous  portez-vous?  pour  moi  je  me  porte  tres 
bien,  et  je  desire  beaucoup  vous  voir  et  j'espere  que  vous  vien- 
drez  bientot  me  voir. 

"  Adieu,  mon  tres  cher  grand-papa,  c'est  tout  ce  que  j'ai  a 
vous  6crire  a  present ;  mais  que  je  veux  que  vous  bientot  re- 
pondiez  a  ma  lettre. 

"  Je  suis  votre  tres  obeissant  et  tres  aimant  fils, 

"Jerome  Bonaparte." 

"  Seminary  of  Mount  St.  Mary 
"  February  1, 1817. 
"  My  Dear  Grandfather — I  have  never  written  to 
you  a  letter  in  French,  because  you  do  not  under- 
stand it ;  but  to  give  you  a  proof  of  my  good  will  to 


226         THE  BONAPARTE-PATTERSON  MARRIAGE. 

learn  it,  I  take  my  pen  for  this  purpose.  I  want  to 
give  you  a  proof  of  my  love  for  you,  in  writing  you  a 
letter  in  French.  How  do  you  do  ?  for  me,  I  am  very 
well,  and  I  have  a  great  desire  to  see  you. 

"Farewell,  my  dear  grandfather,  it  is  all  I 
write  to  you  for  the  present;  but  I  want  you  to 
answer  my  letter  soon.  I  am  your  very  obedient  and 
loving  son,  Jerome  Bonaparte." 


APPENDIX. 


We  copy  the  following  article  from  the  "  Baltimore 
Sun,"  the  most  popular  and  extensively  circulated 
paper  in  Maryland.  It  was  published  in  the  issue  of 
that  paper  on  the  19th  of  January  1870,  several 
months  before  the  death  of  Jerome  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte ;  and  as  it  refers  to  the  death  of  Jerome,  his 
father,  it  will  be  highly  interesting  and  instructive  to 
the  reader. 

THE  AMERICAN  BONAPARTES. 

TJie  Imperial  Family  of  France  and  its  Connections  in 
Baltimore. 

The  Louisville  Courier-Journal  has  the  following : 
The  revolutionary  movements  which  are  now  going 
forward  in  France  invest  the  Napoleonic  dynasty  with 
additional  interest.  Prince  Pierre  Bonaparte,  who 
has  caused  the  pot  to  boil  so  fiercely,  is  a  son  of  the 
great  Emperor's  brother  Lucien,  who  was  considered 
the  ablest  of  the  family  next  after  Napoleon.  The 
present  Emperor  is  regarded  by  many  as  not  a  Bona- 
parte at  all,  but  the  son  of  a  Dutch  admiral  by  Hor- 
tense  Beauharnais,  the  daughter  of  Josephine.  Louis 
Bonaparte  was  forced  by  his  brother  to  marry  Hor- 

(227) 


228  APPENDIX. 

tense.  He  was  in  love  with  another  woman,  and 
withal  a  dreamy  sort  of  person.  Those  who  believe 
in  the  operation  of  a  principle  of  poetic  justice  run- 
ning the  progress  of  history,  make  mention  of  the 
fact  that  the  grandson  of  Josephine,  and  not  of  Napo- 
leon, now  rules  in  France  as  proof  that  the  "  whirligig 
of  time  brings  in  his  revenges."  Josephine  once  said 
"  My  progeny  shall  be  supreme."  But  Josephine  was 
not  the  only  woman  who  was  ill-used  by  the  imperial 
Corsican.  Nor  was  she  the  only  one  who  cherished 
hopes  of  a  divine  revenge  through  her  descendants. 
And  hereby  hangs  a  tale. 

In  1803  Jerome  Bonaparte,  then  in  command  of  a 
French  frigate,  landed  in  New  York.  As  the  brother 
of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  he  was  received  with  distinc- 
tion, and  was  most  hospitably  entertained  wherever 
he  went.  While  in  Baltimore  he  met  Miss  Elizabeth 
Patterson,  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  merchant  of 
that  city,  and  married  her  on  the  24th  of  December 
of  the  same  year.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by 
Bishop  Carroll,  of  the  Catholic  diocese  of  Baltimore, 
a  brother  of  the  distinguished  Charles  Carroll  of  Car- 
rollton.  The  marriage  contract. was  drawn  up  by 
Alexander  Dallas,  afterwards  Secretary  of  the  Trea- 
sury, and  was  witnessed  by  the  mayor  of  Baltimore 
and  several  other  official  personages.  After  remain- 
ing in  the  United  States  about  a  year,  Jerome  Bona- 
parte and  his  wife  embarked  for  France  in  an  Ameri- 
can ship. 

In  the  meantime  Napoleon,  to  whom  the  marriage 
of  his  brother  gave  great  offence,  bad  ordered  that 


APPENDIX.  229 

the  newly  married  pair  should  be  permitted  to  land 
at  no  port  over  which  France  exercised  authority. 
They,  therefore,  landed  at  Lisbon,  where  Jerome  left 
his  wife,  directing  her  to  proceed  to  Amsterdam,  and 
went  to  Paris  with  the  hope  of  prevailing  upon  Napo- 
leon to  recognise  his  marriage;  but  this  Napoleon 
refused  to  do,  at  the  same  time  upbraiding  his  brother 
for  daring  to  marry  without  his  consent.  On  arriving 
at  Amsterdam,  whither  she  went  in  the  American 
ship,  Madame  Bonaparte  was  confronted  with  Napo- 
leon's order  forbidding  her  to  land.  She  then  sailed 
for  England,  where  she  took  up  her  residence  at 
Camberwell,  near  London.  And  here  on  the  7th  of 
July  1805,  was  born  her  only  child,  Jerome  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte,  now  living  in  Baltimore. 

Napoleon  had  determined  that  his  brothers  should 
marry  among  the  princesses  of  Europe,  and  all  efforts 
to  induce  him  to  recognise  the  wife  of  Jerome  were 
vain,  and  Jerome  was  at  last  forced  to  yield  to  the 
wishes  of  the  Emperor  and  marry  the  Princess  Fred- 
erica  Catharine,  of  Wurtemburg.  Madame  Bona- 
parte met  her  husband  but  once  afterward,  and  then 
no  word  passed  between  them.  It  was  in  the  gallery 
of  the  Pitti  Palace  at  Florence,  in  Italy.  The  Prin- 
cess was  leaning  on  the  arm  of  her  husband  when  the 
meeting  took  place.  Jerome  started  aside  on  recog- 
nising Madame  Bonaparte,  and  a  moment  afterward 
whispered  to  the  Princess :  "  That  lady  is  my  former 
wife."  He  immediately  left  the  gallery,  and  the  next 
morning  quitted  Florence. 

Although    Napoleon    declared    the    marriage   of 


230  APPENDIX. 

Jerome  and  Miss  Patterson  null  and  void,  he  could 
never  induce  the  Pope  to  so  declare  it;  and  a  few 
years  ago,  when  the  question  as  to  the  rank  to  which 
the  Bonapartes  of  Baltimore  were  entitled  as  princes 
of  the  imperial  household  was  up  for  decision,  the 
protest  of  the  Pope  against  the  decree  of  Napoleon 
was  brought  forward. 

Soon  after  the  birth  of  her  son  Madame  Bonaparte 
returned  to  Baltimore,  where  she  has  principally 
resided  ever  since,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  large  fortune. 
She  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age  when  she  first 
met  Jerome  Bonaparte,  and  is  now  about  eighty-five. 
She  was  always  a  great  admirer  of  Napoleon  in  spite 
of  the  cruel  manner  in  which  he  treated  her.  It  is 
said  that  she  believes  that  her  grandson  will  yet  be 
Emperor  of  France. 

Madame  Bonaparte's  son,  Jerome  Napoleon,  now 
in  his  sixty-fifth  year,  has  lived  in  Baltimore  since  his 
boyhood.  He  was  educated  at  Harvard  College, 
where  he  graduated  in  1826.  He  afterwards  studied 
law,  but  never  practised  at  the  bar.  When  quite  a 
young  man  he  married  a  very  wealthy  lady,  Miss 
Susan  Mary  Williams,  originally  of  Roxbury,  Mass., 
and  has  since  devoted  his  time  to  the  management  of 
his  large  estate  and  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His 
own  fortune,  added  to  that  of  his  wife,  made  him  one 
of  the  wealthiest  men  in  Baltimore.  He  visited  his 
father  several  times  in  Europe,  and  for  many  years 
received  from  him  a  large  allowance.  He  is  on  good 
terms  with  Louis  Napoleon,  and  has  once  visited  the 
French  court,  accompanied  by  one  of  his  sons,  upon 


APPENDIX.  231 

an  invitation  from  the  Emperor.  During  the  reign 
of  Louis  Philippe  he  was  permitted  to  remain  in  Paris 
for  a  short  time,  but  was  required  to  assume  his 
mother's  name  of  Patterson. 

Mr.  Bonaparte  has  two  children,  Jerome  Napoleon, 
who  was  born  in  Baltimore  in  1832,  and  Charles 
Joseph,  born  in  1852.  The  first  named  graduated  at 
"West  Point  at  the  age  of  twenty,  and  after  remaining 
a  short  time  in  the  United  States  army,  resigned  his 
commission  and  entered  that  of  France  as  a  sub-lieu- 
tenant. He  was  with  the  French  and  English  allies 
in  the  Crimea,  and  received  a  decoration  from  the 
Sultan  of  Turkey  for  his  gallant  conduct  at  the  siege 
of  Sebastopol. 

Mr.  Bonaparte  is  said  to  bear  a  strong  personal 
resemblance  to  his  uncle,  the  first  Napoleon.  If  the 
validity  of  his  father's  marriage  with  Miss  Patterson 
were  recognised  by  the  Court  of  France,  it  would 
give  him  and  his  children  precedence  over  his  half- 
brothers  and  their  sister,  the  Princess  Mathilde,  the 
children  of  Jerome  by  his  second  wife.  Efforts  to 
secure  such  recognition  have  been  made  on  perhaps 
more  than  one  occasion,  but  they  failed,  though  how 
far  they  fell  short  of  success  has  never  been  known 
to  the  public.  Jerome  himself,  who  died  at  a  vener- 
able old  age  a  year  or  two  ago,  bitterly  opposed  all 
such  efforts  to  obtain  precedence  for  the  Baltimore 
Bonapartes,  and  would  acknowledge  them  only  by  the 
name  of  Patterson. 

The  scrimmage  now  going  on  in  Paris  is  peculiar. 
The  American  Bonapartes  are  republicans,  and  so  are 


232  APPENDIX. 

the  agitators  in  the  Corps  Legislatif.  It  may  afford 
some  of  them  an  opportunity,  and  a  I^tterson  may 
yet  occupy  the  Tuileries  as  Prince  President,  just  as 
Louis,  a  Beauharnais,  occupied  the  palace  in  1849. 
At  all  events  the  story  is  worth  re-telling,  as  more  or 
less  apropos  of  transpiring  events  in  .France,  in  which 
the  Bonapartes,  their  past,  present  and  future,  bear 
such  close  relation.  Jerome  Bonaparte  acted  badly 
enough  to  Miss  Patterson.  Nor  has  his  family  done 
much  better.  It  would  be  a  piece  of  poetic  justice  if 
Time  should  balance  the  account. 


APPENDIX.  233 

[From  the  same  paper,  issued  on  the  17th  of  January 
1873,  we  clip  the  following  article,  which  explains 
itself:—] 

THE  BALTIMORE  BONAPARTES. 
Views  of  Madame  Patterson  and  Col.  Jerome  Buona- 
parte on  the  French  Situation. 

A  Baltimore  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Herald 
gives  a  detailed  history  of  the  American  Bonapartes, 
and  especially  of  Madame  Jerome  Bonaparte  Patter- 
son, of  this  city,  who  was  married  to  the  youngest 
brother  of  the  great  Napoleon,  by  whose  decree  they 
were  divorced,  with  which  history  most  of  our  readers 
are  familiar.  The  writer,  however,  adds  some  inte- 
resting particulars  in  regard  to  the  recent  illness  of 
the  lady  and  in  regard  to  the  death  of  the  late  Em- 
peror Napoleon.     He  says  : — 

Though  eighty-eight  years  of  age,  Madame  Bona- 
parte retains 

TRACES  OF  A  ONCE  WONDROUS  BEAUTY. 
Her  complexion  is  still  smooth  and  comparatively  fair, 
while  her  peculiarly  beautiful  blue  eyes  are  as  yet 
undimmed.  Her  nature  is  suspicious  and  warped  by 
her  many  injuries.  She  seems  in  constant  dread  of 
some  indefinable  injury ;  never  receives  visitors  in  her 
room  save  her  most  intimate  acquaintances,  and  is 
always  on  the  watch  for  some  fancied  insult.  For  the 
past  month  she  has  been  quite  ill,  likely  to  die,  so  the 
physician  said,  at  any  moment,  but  on  hearing  the 
fact  mentioned  by  an  attendant,  she  straightened 
herself  up  in  bed  and  said,  emphatically,  that 
15 


234  APPENDIX. 

"  SHE  WOULDN'T  DIE, 

and  that  she  intended  to  live  until  she  was  one  hun- 
dred years  old."  From  that  time  she  began  to  improve 
until  within  a  day  or  so,  when  she  has  grown  worse. 
She  believes  that  she  will  yet  live  to  see  her  grandson 
on  the  throne  of  France.     She  had 


probably  because  of  the  fact  that  he  refused  to  allow 
her  a  share  in  his  uncle  Jerome's  estate,  to  which,  as 
his  widow,  she  was  legally  entitled.  Madame  Bona- 
parte is,  however,  very  rich  in  her  own  right.  The 
present  Jerome  Bonaparte  was  always  a  great  favorite 
with  her  previous  to  his  marriage.  She  made  a  hand- 
some allowance  to  him  while  in  France,  it  is  said,  and 
during  his  sojourn  there  she  supplied  him  liberally 
with  money,  as  it  was  always  her  ambition  to  have  her 
grandson  live  like  the  nobility.  She  has  at  all  times 
watched  the  political  condition  of  France  with  great 
interest,  and  at  times  would  talk  freely  of  her  ambi- 
tion for  her  grandson,  and  declare 

HIS  RIGHT  TO  THE  THRONE 

in  case  of  the  death  of  the  Emperor  and  Prince  Im- 
perial. Colonel  Bonaparte  has  steadily  refrained  from 
making  public  his  views  on  the  situation  in  France ; 
but  it  is  said  by  his  friends  that  he  would  not  be  averse 
to  receiving  any  distinction  which  the  French  people 
might  wish  to  confer  upon  him ;  and,  in  fact,  that  he 
still  hopes  for  the  restoration  of  the  Empire  and  the 
elevation  of  the  Bonaparte  family  to  its  control.     He 


APPENDIX.  235 

is  personally  so  fond  of  the  dead  Emperor,  the  Em- 
press and  their  son,  and  was  such  a  favorite  with  them, 
that  no  position  inimical  to  their  interest,  however 
complimentarily  offered,  would  be  accepted  by  him. 
This  fact  is  so  well  known  by  his  friends  that  they 
usually  look  upon  him  as  willing  to  accept 

A  CO-REGENCY  WITH  THE  EMPRESS 

during  the  minority  of  the  Prince  Imperial.  I  will  here 
distinctly  reassert  that  this  is  but  the  belief  of  his  friends 
and  not  his  declaration.  His  grandmother  takes  that 
view  of  it  very  strongly ;  but  in  consequence  of  their 
personal  estrangement  has  probably  no  better  ground 
for  it  than  his  friends. 

Colonel  Bonaparte  is  at  this  moment  on  the  friend- 
liest footing  and  pleasantest  epistolary  intercourse  with 
the  various  members  of  his  family  in  Europe — notably 
the  Empress  and  the  Princess  Mathilde — and  it  is  much 
more  than  probable  that  the  opinion  of  Colonel  Bona- 
parte has  been  sought  and  will  be  followed  in  the  mea- 
sures to  be  taken  by  his  family  in  consequence  of  the 
death  of  the  Emperor,  and  that  in  the  events  of  the 
future  he  will  have  a  controlling  part.  He  has  all  the 
qualities  which  endear  a  ruler  to  the  popular  heart, 
being  strikingly  handsome,  suave  in  his  manners,  a 
brave  and  daring  soldier,  and  possessed  of  no  ordinary 
intelligence.  He  is  a  great  favorite  in  France  among 
those  who  look  for  a  restoration  of  the  Empire.  The 
death  of  the  late  Napoleon  affected  Madame  Bona- 
parte strongly,  and  on  the  reception  of  the  news  she 


236  APPENDIX. 

betrayed  emotions  which  had  long  lain  dormant.  One 
of  her  lady  attendants 

ASKED  HER  IF  SHE  WAS  SORRY. 

"No,"  said  the  madame,  emphatically,  "he  would 
not  recognise  my  grandson,  and  I  don't  care  a  bit." 

On  being  asked  what  were  her  views  on  the  political 
situation  in  France,  she  evinced  no  marked  interest, 
and  merely  said  that,  for  herself,  she  had  done  all  she 
could  to  secure  her  grandson's  rightful  inheritance, 
and  that  she  could  do  more,  as  she  was  nearly  approach- 
ing her  final  end.  She  declared  the  hope  and  belief 
that  he  would  at  some  time  ascend  the  throne  of 
France.  The  ruling  passion  of  this  remarkable 
woman's  life  has  been  to  regain 

HER  LOST  RIGHTS 

in  behalf  of  this  grandson,  and  to  that  end  she  has 
studiously  economized,  though  enormously  rich,  living 
in  seclusion,  that  the  greater  wealth  he  lives  to  inherit 
might  add  to  his  chances  for  the  crown.  She  often 
says  that  this  money  may  be  needed  for  that  purpose, 
and  if  so,  here  it  all  is.  She  keeps  it  easily  realizable, 
and  could  convert  it  all  into  cash  in  thirty  days. 

She  lives  in  the  fourth  or  fifth  story  of  a  boarding- 
house  on  the  corner  of  St.  Paul  and  Lexington  streets, 
and  has  never,  until  very  recently,  had  any  companion 
or  nurse.     She  talks  constantly  of  her 

RELATIONS  TO  THE  FRENCH  EMPIRE, 

and  although  she  is  displeased  with  her  grandson  for 
what  she  terms  "  injuring  his  own  prospects  for  the 


APPENDIX.  237 

throne"  by  marrying  an  American  lady,  she  appears 
brighter  and  more  cheerful  since  Napoleon's  death  than 
before,  and  declares  her  strong  belief  of  the  accession 
of  her  grandson  to  the  throne  in  the  near  future. 

YESTERDAY  SHE  CONVERSED  FREELY  UPON   THE  SITUA- 
TION IN  FRANCE, 

and  stated  that  her  belief  in  a  great  popular  demonstra- 
tion at  the  funeral  of  Napoleon  was  strong.  "  This," 
said  she,  "  would  show  that  the  Bonaparte  family  were 
yet  admired  by  their  people,  and  that  the  empire  would 
yet  be  re-established,  with  a  Bonaparte  at  its  head." 

In  order  to  find  what  views  Colonel  Bonaparte  might 
entertain  about  the  succession  to  the  French  throne, 
the  Herald  representative  called  at  his  elegant  resi- 
dence on  North  Charles  street  (the  fashionable  quarter 
of  the  city),  and  was  conducted  by  a  lackey,  beauti- 
fully attired  in  drab  cloth  togs  and  scarlet  waistcoat, 
into 

THE  PRESENCE  OF  MRS.  BONAPARTE, 

wife  of  the  colonel  and  the  granddaughter  of  Daniel 
Webster.  She  is  a  remarkably  prepossessing  lady, 
and  was  richly  attired  in  a  heavy  silk  morning  robe. 
Her  surroundings  were  elegant,  and  the  air  of  her 
mansion  was  that  of  quiet  royalty.  She  received  me 
pleasantly,  and  invited  me  to  a  seat. 

WHAT  MRS.  BONAPARTE  SAID. 

"  Can  I  see  the  colonel,  madam  ?"  said  I. 
Mrs.  Bonaparte — "  He  is  out,  sir.    What  would  you 
have  with  him?" 


238  APPENDIX. 

"  I  called  for  the  Herald/'  I  replied,  "  to  inquire 
his  views  with  regard  to  the  present  situation  in 
France." 

She  seemed  pleased  at  this  remark,  and  replied,  "  I 
am  sure,  sir,  he  would  not  give  them." 

"  Well,  madam,"  I  remarked,  "  I  supposed  as  much 
from  what  I  have  heard ;  but  he  would  at  least  say 
whether  he  would  consent  to  be  drawn  from  private 
into  public  life  if  the  French  people  should  desire ; 
and,  too,  he  could  afford  me  some  interesting  facts 
with  regard  to  his  family  connections,  about  which  so 
much  has  been  falsely  stated  in  the  newspapers." 

"  Yes,  sir,  a  great  deal  that  is  false  has  been  put  in 
the  papers,"  she  answered,  "  and  Colonel  Bonaparte 
will  be  glad  to  see  you  if  you  will  call  again." 

I  thanked  her  for  her  kindness,  and  bade  her  good 
morning.  As  I  passed  out  the  family  carriage  stood 
before  the  door,  and  upon  the  panels  the  Bonaparte 
coat-of-arms  shone  in  silver,  showing  that  the  Colonel 
held  his  right  to  a  membership  in  that  remarkable 
family. 

INTERVIEW  WITH  COLONEL  BONAPARTE. 

I  called  yesterday  on  Colonel  Bonaparte,  and  was 
well  received.  After  some  unimportant  remarks  I 
alluded  to  the  death  of  Napoleon  III.,  following  it  up 
with  the  question  : — 

"  Is  there  now  any  chance,  Colonel,  for  the  restora- 
tion of  the  empire  by  a  regency  of  the  Empress  during 
the  minority  of  the  Prince  Imperial  ?" 

"It  is  very  hard  for  me  to  answer  that  question. 


APPENDIX.  239 

Being  here  at  a  great  distance  from  the  scene  of  events 
in  France,  I  am  not  competent  to  express  an  opinion, 
because  I  have  no  evidence  upon  which  I  could  base  it. 

THE  FRENCH  PEOPLE  ARE  SO  FICKLE 

that  any  conjecture  or  prediction  I  could  make  might 
be  falsified  by  events  in  a  few  days  or  weeks  hence. 
The  death  of  the  Emperor  was  so  sudden  and  unex- ' 
pected  that  I  have  scarcely  got  over  my  amazement 
at  it.  I  am  awaiting  events  for  a  week  or  so  before 
I  form  any  opinion  as  to  the  chances  of  a  regency.  I 
have  read  in  the  Herald  what  the  Marquis  de  Noailles, 
the  French  minister,  said  regarding  the  death  of  the 
Emperor.  I  do  not  agree  with  him  where  he  says 
that  this  sad  event  will  give  the  final  blow  to  the  hopes 
of  the  imperialists.  I  do  not  think  the  restoration  of 
the  empire  improbable,  but,  on  the  contrary,  believe 
it  not  impossible  that  the  Emperor's  death  might 
cause  a  change  of  feeling  in  favor  of  the  empire.  Now 
that  he  is  dead  it  will  be  remembered  that  his  reign 
had  given  France  twenty  years  of  uninterrupted  pros- 
perity, such  as  she  never  enjoyed  under  any  preceding 
government,  and  its  disastrous  close  will  not  be  alto- 
gether attributed  to  him." 

THE  EMPRESS  AS  REGENT. 

"  But  would  the  Empress  be  qualified  to  act  as 
Regent  ?" 

"  Why  not  ?  She  has  great  tact,  is  high-minded, 
generous  ;  indeed  possesses  those  qualifications  of  head 
and  heart  which  command  the  admiration  of  the  mul- 


240  APPENDIX. 

titude.  The  Bonapartes  have  a  far  better  claim  to  the 
affection  of  the  French  people  than  the  Orleanists  and 
the  Bourbon  pretenders." 

"  Do  you  think,  Colonel,  that  the  army  is  still 
attached  to  the  empire?" 

"  The  French  army  does  not  meddle  with  politics, 
and  I  think  this  is  right,  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
greater  part  would  hail  with  joy 

THE  BETURN  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 

Look  at  the  demonstration  there  is  going  to  be  at 
Napoleon's  funeral.  I  have  seen  in  the  papers  that 
so  many  people  are  leaving  France  to  attend  that  the 
railways  have  reduced  their  fares  for  that  special  occa- 
sion. A  great  number  of  officers  in  the  army  have 
asked  leave  to  pay  the  last  honors  to  the  dead  chief, 
to  whom  they  have  sworn  allegiance.  Does  not  this 
look  like 

A  DEMONSTRATION  ?" 

"  What  is  your  opinion,  Colonel,  regarding  the  order 
of  the  French  government  that  the  officers  who  went 
to  attend  Napoleon's  funeral  could  only  do  so  in 
civilian's  dress  ?" 

"  I  suppose  the  government  wishes  to  have  the  fact 
concealed  that  so  many  army  officers  are  to  be  present. 
Being  in  civilian's  dress,  their  great  number  will  not 
be  easily  known.  The  Thiers  government  appears  to 
be  uneasy  that  the  demonstration  will  be  very  formi- 
dable, and  hence  these  precautions." 

"  Are  you  not 


APPENDIX.  241 

IN  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  THE  IMPERIAL  FAMILY, 

Colonel?" 

"Yes;  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Empress  only  a 
few  days  ago,  saying  that  the  Emperor  was  in  good 
health,  but  she  did  not  make  any  allusion  to  the  pros- 
pects of  the  imperial  family.  She  very  seldom  writes 
or  talks  politics." 

"  How  did  Madame  Bonaparte  take  the  death  of 
Napoleon  ?" 

"  I  cannot  speak  for  her.  I  do  not  suppose  she  was 
specially  affected  by  it." 

"  Is  there  not  some  misunderstanding  between  you 
and  Madame  Bonaparte  ?  I  hear  that  you  have  not 
met  lately?" 

Pause,  and  then,  evasively  :  "  I  cannot  speak  for 
Madame  Bonaparte.  You  had  better  ask  her  your- 
self." 

The  interesting  interview  was  then  brought  to  a 
close. 

madame  Bonaparte's  wonderful  energy. 
The  remarkable  energy  and  singleness  of  purpose 
with  which  Madame  Bonaparte  has  striven  to  obtain 
in  fact  what  the  Pope,  the  French  courts  and  every 
impartial  man  have  declared  to  be  her  rights  in  law, 
have  been  inherited  by  her  descendants  ;  and,  added  to 
the  personal  qualities  of  bravery,  discretion,  and  a 
high  view  of  what  is  right  in  her  grandson,  the  Colo- 
nel, promises  in  the  present  disturbed  state  of  France 
and  amid  the  vacillating  movements  of  her  present 


242  APPENDIX. 

statesmen,  a  rallying  point,  the  stability  of  which  is 
the  most  imperative  need  in  that  country,  as  it  is  an 
indispensable  foundation  for  a  contented  government. 
This  content  for  themselves  and  stability  for  their  im- 
perial government  will  be  attempted  to  be  secured  by 
the  French  imperialists  by  their  availing  themselves 
of  the  abilities  of  the  Colonel,  and  in  greater  measure 
the  higher  the  office  they  confer  on  him. 

From  an  intimate  association  with  those  who  know 
the  facts  well  I  have  compiled  the  above  statements, 
and  I  close  with  the  declaration  that  the  field  of  action 
of  Colonel  Jerome  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  now  in  Bal- 
timore, will  be  transferred  to  the  old  continent  ere 
long,  and  that  his  efforts  there  will  be  devoted  and 
commensurate  with  the  national  importance  and  dig- 
nity of  the  people  in  whose  government  the  Bonaparte 
family  still  are  endeavoring  to  take  a  leading  part. 


INDEX. 


"A  Bonaparte,"  199. 

u  Abdicate  her  crown,"  221. 

"  Affair  finished,"  93. 

"  Affected  by  his  disgrace,"  134. 

"  A  small  asteroid,"  137. 

"A  year,  or  18  months,"  209. 

Agamemnon  and  Napoleon,  36. 

Alexander,  Le  Camas.  122. 

Amsterdam,  Madame  Bonaparte  before,  190. 

Ancient  argosies,  l7o. 

Anderson,  Mrs.,  208,  213. 

Annapolis,  young  couple  at,  108. 

Anonymous  letters,  29,  30,  32. 

Annulling 

Appendix,  227. 

Arbous  of  Lisbon,  174. 

Arch-Chancellor  Beauharnais,  152. 

Arch-Duke  of  Genoa,  222. 

Armstrong,  General,  84,  85,  98,  107. 

his  old  letters,  149,  158,  185,  186. 
Artesian  wells,  175. 

Assassination  of  Lucien  Bonaparte,  172. 
Astonishing  paragraph,  100. 
Austerlitz,  battle  of,  138. 

B.  only,  174. 

Bacchiochi,  181. 

Barney,  Joshua,  26. 

Battle  of  Austerlitz,  138. 

Beauharnais  family,  180,  181. 

11  Beautiful  young  lady  of  Baltimore,"  181. 

"  Be  on  your  guard  before  Mr.  O'Donnell,"  210. 

Bentalou,  Captain  Paul,  39,  184. 

his  bills,  168. 

his  letters,  51,  217. 

(243) 


244  INDEX. 

u  Betsy  "  (Madame  Jerome),  82,  160,  211. 
her  -son  well,  212. 
should  return  home,  207. 
Bills  of  exchange,  186. 
Bills  protested,  172. 
"  Blazon,"  179. 

Bonaparte,  Napoleon,  36,  57,  65,  70,  77. 
Bonaparte,  Joseph,  and  Mr.  Livingston,  37. 
Lucien,  his  character,  63. 
biography,  44. 
quits  France,  44. 
Carlo,  40. 
Carolina,  45. 
Eliza,  44. 
Joseph,  41. 
Letizia,  40. 
Louis,  44. 
Paulina,  45. 
Jerome,  25. 

he  arrives  at  New  York,  26. 
his  lady,  89,  90,  91,  92. 
his  letter  to  Mr.  Patterson,  17' 
"  Bonaparte  cannot  write,"  203. 
Bordeaux  Gazette,  167. 
Borghese,  Princess,  153. 
Boston  stirred,  177. 
Bourne,  Sylvanus,  Esq.,  193. 
"Brave  Centre,"  57. 
Brig  Georgia  lost,  167. 
British  Neptune,  84. 
tl  Burn  my  letters,"  174. 
"Buzz,"  117. 

Cambrian  frigate,  90,  91. 

Campan,  Madame,  25,  38. 

"  Camp  "  marriage,  116. 

Cannon ier  frigate,  150. 

Captain  Duncan,  205. 

Cardinal  Fesch,  147,  180. 

Careless  handling  of  the  Bonapartes,  177. 

Carroll.  Bishop,  31. 

Charles,  31,  106. 
Caton,  Richard,  106. 
Cession  of  Louisiana,  140. 
Chase,  Samuel,  26. 
Cipher  writing,  156,  160,  171,  172,  175,  179. 


INDEX.  245 

Citizen  Jerome  Bonaparte,  181. 

of  the  United  States,  Jerome  must  become,  53. 
Clark,  General,  97. 
"  Cold  steel,"  139. 
u  Columbian  Centinel,"  177. 
u  Come  alone  to  France,"  116. 
"  Come-off."  200. 
Consul  at  Bordeaux,  156. 
at  Malmaison,  55. 
Consulate  at  Rotterdam,  137. 
Coronation  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine,  119,  126. 

description  of,  136. 
Count  de  Moustier,  107. 
County  house,  197. 
Cybele  frigate,  89. 

Dacres,  French  Minister  of  Marine,  178. 
his  letter  to.M.  Pichon,  66. 

Jerome,  73,  110. 
Dallas,  Alexander  J.,  31. 
Danes,  a  misnomer,  111. 
Deafness  of  Mr.  Livingston,  84. 
Demon  of  deception,  139, 
Depravity  of  morals,  172. 
Didon  frigate,  89,  90. 
Dining  with  Lucien,  61  ;  with  Joseph,  85. 
Diplomacy  "  shut  out,"  119. 
Dog-watch,  63. 
Dragon  of  Night,  161. 
Dreadful  secrets,  170. 
Driver  sloop  of  war,  91. 
Duke  of  Wellington,  107. 
Dulany,  Mrs.,  113. 
Duncan,  Capt.,  205. 

«  Eliza,"  208. 

Embarkation  for  America,  213,  215. 

of  Jerome  and  wife,  160. 
Embden,  185. 
"Emperor  says,"  211. 

to  Jerome,  212. 

in  cipher,  156. 
"  Enemy  of  Bonaparte,"  58. 
Epistle  of  Le  Camas,  198. 
"Erin"  ship,  161,  185,  191,  192. 
Esmenard,  Mr.,  L02. 
••  Everybody  took  notice  of  it,"  217. 


246  INDEX. 

Extract  from  Bentalou,  184. 
"Extremely  angry,"  116. 
"  Extremely  dejected,"  217. 

"  Fair  spouse  "  of  Jerome,  113. 

Fame  and  beauty  go  before  her,  139. 

"  Farewell,  my  dear  grandfather,"  225. 

Fictitious  names,  117. 

Finn/  forsaking,  175. 

"  Fine  large  fellow,"  212. 

First  and  second  family,  174. 

"First  Consul's  great  displeasure,"  61. 

Five  hundred  dollars  reward,  88. 

Flag  and  register,  191. 

Flight  of  the  young  couple,  115. 

Florida  lands,  140,  143. 

Forgeries,  110. 

French  and  American  gossip,  36. 

official  letters,  110. 

leave,  99. 

intrigue  and  deceit,  210. 

calendar,  108. 

paragraph,  159. 

letters  of  Maupertuis,  120,  123,  124,  128,  129, 131,  132. 

letters  of  Cuneo  De  Ornano,  145. 
M.  Meyronet,  150. 
Gen.  Rewbell,  164,  165. 
French  as  France,  198. 
"  French  leave,"  99. 
French  tariff,  154. 
Frenchman  and  Frenchwoman,  224. 
Frederica  Catharina,  224. 
Frigates  at  New  York,  116,  135. 

Gamier,  Doctor,  199,  209,  211. 
Genet,  Citizen,  38. 
Genealogy  of  Buonaparte,  179. 
"General  Armstrong  in  cipher,11  156. 

Armstrong,  156. 

Clark,  97. 

Le  Clerc,  26,  181. 

Lafayette,  28. 

Pulaski,  39. 

Rav,  92. 

Rewbell,  164,  166,  169. 

Smith,  33,  86,  144. 

Tuerreau,  33,  162,  163,  197. 


INDEX.  247 

Genoa,  Jerome  at,  190. 

"Gentleman  from  Dover,"  115. 

"  Gentleman  who  came  out  with  John,"  119. 

Gigantic  powers  of  Bonaparte,  215. 

Girard,  Stephen,  28. 

"Going  with  an  ambassador,"  98. 

Gonteaume,  Admiral,  147.  152. 

M  Good  and  amiable  mother,"  117. 

Gravesend,  210. 

Halifax  newspaper,  110. 

"  Haughty  England,"  57. 

Heaven  and  the  First  Consul,  58. 

He  italicised,  60. 

"  He  would  for  ever  remember  the  shipwreck/'  220. 

"  He  will  write  everything  you  say,"  210. 

Helen  and  Paris,  35. 

"Hero,"  67. 

"Her  imperial  highness,"  181. 

"Her  marriage  having  no  existence,"  213. 

"Highway  of  nations,-'  161. 

Holland,  Mad.  Bonaparte  sent  to,  116. 

Hour  of  parting,  175.  ^ 

"If  you  return,  come  alone,"  112. 
"I  dare  not  write  to  him,"  126. 
"  I  have  written  to  Lucien,"  140. 
"I  was  highly  flattered,"  61. 
"  I  will  allow  her  a  pension,"  213. 
Immutable  affection,  125. 
"  In  all  conscience,"  217. 
"In  a  gale,"  114. 
"  Incomparable  nation,"  54. 
Intercepted  letters,  79,  110. 
Interesting  and  pleasing  intelligence,  112. 
lady,  127. 
161. 

Jerome  and  lady  at  the  theatre,  149. 
he  and  his  lady  incog.,  114. 
"he  can  plead  his  cause,"  134. 
he  kisses  the  children,  204. 
his  august  brother,  134. 
his  bills.  149. 
his  horses,  102. 
his  second  marriage,  224. 
his  squadron,  204,  223. 
his  mother  affected  by  his  disgrace,  134. 


•J  18  INDEX. 

Jerome  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 

his  birth,  200. 

his  letter,  225. 

his  grave,  224. 

his  life  and  death,  224. 
"Jerome  was  <ff"  114. 
''John  and  Joseph"  sails,  200. 
Josephine,  Empress,  113. 

'•K.-cp  dark,"  204. 
Key  to  cipher  writing,  157. 
King  of  England,  199. 
Knock  off  cutting,  198. 


Lafayette,  28. 

Leander  frigate,  79. 

Le  Camas,  197,  198,  199,  201,  202, 

'•  Legion  of  Honor,"  152. 

Letter  E,  98. 

from  "A  Friend"  to  Wm. 

Patterson, 

Esq.,  29. 

"  A  Frenchman" 

ii 

32. 

Robert  Patterson 

ti 

36. 

ii 

i< 

49. 

u 

« 

60. 

u 

ii 

63. 

(< 

u 

93. 

u 

a 

104. 

t* 

Cl 

108. 

it 

ii 

139. 

It 

u 

148. 

{« 

ll 

153. 

(( 

ii 

158. 

t* 

«< 

170. 

a 

u 

175. 

Madame  Bonaparte 

a 

98,  207,  209. 

Chancellor  Livingston 

" 

85. 

General  Tuerrean 

<( 

162,  197, 

Captain  Bentalon 

li 

41. 

Jerome  Bonaparte 

ii 

174. 

Alex.  Le  Camus 

ii 

195,  202,  222, 

James  Mcllhiny 

ii 

213,  220. 

William  Patterson  to  Chancellor  Livingston,  33. 

"  Jerome  Bonaparte,  80,  81. 

"  General  Tuerreau,  163. 

W.  C.  Nicholas,  223. 
M.  Dacres  to  Jerome  Bonaparte,  1-k 
Joseph  Bonaparte  to  Jerome  Bonaparte,  102. 


INDEX.  249 

Letter  from  Napoleon  Bonaparte  to  Jerome  Bonaparte,  212. 

M.  Dacres  to  M,  Pichon,  66. 

Joseph  Bonaparte  to  Mr.  Livingston,  87. 

George  "W.  Patterson  to  Madame  Bonaparte,  93,  188. 

Sylvanus  Bourne  to  R.  J.  Schimmelpenninck,  193. 

Captain  Bentalou  to  Robert  Patterson,  217. 
Le  President  frigate,  158. 
11  Little  Baltimore  Beauty,"  99. 
Livingston,  190. 
"  London  is  before  you,"  57. 
"  London-particular-three-years-old-wine/'  149. 
London  Morning  Chronicle,  182. 
"Loudon  Park,"  near  Baltimore,  224. 
Louisiana,  cession  of,  140. 
"  Low  Corsican,"  179. 
"  Lovely  bride,"  112. 
Love  on  the  Chesapeake,  118. 
u  Lovely  Princess"  of  Jerome,  146. 
Lucien  Bonaparte,  158. 

his  arrest  at  Milan,  160. 
Lull  of  curiosity,  113. 

Madame  Bonaparte  first  in  the  life-boat,  114. 
her  vessel,  187. 

in  London,  195. 

her  first  child,  200. 

his  name,  200. 

her  letter,  207. 
Marchioness  of  Donegal,  209. 
Market  street,  Baltimore,  88. 
Marriage  of  Miss  Patterson,  28,  31,  46,  47,  48. 

Lucien  Bonaparte's  opinion  of  it,  52,  53,  54. 

Joseph        "  «         "      55. 

"Mars"  brig,  215. 
Master  wheel,  79. 
"  Matter  of  form,"  56. 
Maupertuis  at  the  wheel,  120. 

his  letters,  93,  105,  119,  &c. 

he  retires,  137. 

in  Rotterdam,  142,  166. 
"  Maw  of  a  whale,"  114. 
Maxim  of  Mr.  Patterson,  148. 
McKim,  Mr.,  129. 

Mcllhiny  and  Glennie,  143,  154,  213,  219,  220. 
Meeting  of  Napoleon  and  Jerome,  218. 
Menelatu,  king  of  Sparta,  35. 
Mid-ocean,  161,  164. 

16 


2.X)  INDEX. 


"  Misfortune  pursues  him,"  121,  134. 

Miss  Spear,  122. 

"  Mistress,"  100,  180. 

M.  Dumestre,  146. 

M.  Eugene  Beauharnais,  152. 

M.  Meyronnet,  150,  165,  166. 

M.  Pascault,  165. 

"  Momentary  disgrace,"  127. 

Moniteur,  100,  105,  158. 

u  Moral  honor  and  delicacy,"  223. 

Morris,  Robert,  28. 

Mount  St.  Mary,  225. 

Mrs.  McDonald,  122. 

Murat,  Prince,  152. 

Murphy,  Captain,  215. 

"  My  dear  Alexander,"  121,  122,  128. 

"  My  dear  Chambry,"  125,  127,  133. 

"  My  dear  Jerome,"  73,  77,  103. 

"  My  second  mother,"  174. 

"  My  wife,  my  dear  little  wife,"  220. 

Napoleon  to  Jerome,  112. 

"Narrow  escape,"  114. 

Negotiations  for  East  Florida,  143. 

Neutral  port,  196. 

"  Never  show  my  letters,"  174. 

New  York  out-sensationed,  113. 

News  via  New  York,  223. 

Nicholas,  W.  C,  223. 

Note  from  Lucien  to  Robert  Patterson,  52. 

Notre  Dame,  130. 

Obelisk  of  granite,  224. 
O  Jerome  !  75. 
O'Meally,  208. 
On  board  the  Erin,  161. 

a  packet,  113. 

a  snow,  114. 
On  the  sea,  161,  168. 

Chesapeake,  161. 
wharf,  161. 
u  On  your  guard,"  158. 
Orcel,  M.,  103. 

Panic  and  prestige,  138. 
Paragraph  of  the  12th  October,  104,  106. 
New  \ '•••  '■  sensation.  112,  149. 


INDEX.  251 


Pascault,  M.,  165. 

Patterson,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  27. 

George  M.,  his  letters,  94,  189. 
Robert,  in  France,  36. 

his  diplomacy,  39. 

his  letter,  36. 
Patterson,  William,  Esq.,  28. 

letters  to  Jerome,  80,  81,  83. 
on  the  marriage,  34. 

his  letter  to  Mr.  Livingston,  33. 
Peddler  of  paragraphs,  173. 
"  Person  sent  to  the  Texel,"  185. 
Philadelphia  under  true  colors,  115. 
Pichon,  Citizen,  85. 
Pilot  Town,  shipwreck  at,  115. 
11  Pique  of  the  moment,"  170. 
Pomona  at  Genoa,  222. 
Pope  of  Rome,  97. 
Portrait  of  lovely  bride,  112. 
P.  Cuneo  de  Ornano,  148. 
Premeditated  aggression,  147. 
"Pressed  her  into  his  arms,"  220. 
"  Pretended  marriage,"  159,  167. 
Priam,  king  of  Troy,  35. 
"  Prince  of  royal  blood,"  53. 
Princess  Eliza  on  the  Pomona,  222. 
Prize  drawn,  161. 
Propitious  moment,  135. 
Protested  bills,  172. 
Pulaski,  Count,  39. 
"Put  a  foot  on  French  territory,"  199. 

Queen  of  Etruria,  97. 

spurns  Jerome,  221. 
Quidnuncs,  99. 
"  Quiz  in  the  tale,  "114. 

"  Ranioglini,"  180,  181. 

Ray,  Gen.,  92. 

Red  letters,  188. 

Register,  and  flag  of  the  TJ.  S.,  192. 

u  Repudiated  his  wife,"  158. 

"  Bequiescat  in  Pace,"  225. 

Revolution  in  France,  131. 

Revolutionnaire  44  guns,  118. 

Rewbell,  166,  169. 

Robereus  ship,  159. 


252  INDEX. 

Rochefort  fleet,  155. 
Rotterdam,  letter  from,  190. 
Rue  Royal,  Lille,  93. 

Scandal,  100. 

Scandalous  paragraph,  100,  104,  106. 

Schimmelpenninck,  Mr.,  190,  193. 

Schooner  Cordelia,  Captain  Towers,  113. 

Seal  of  wax,  188. 

Second  and  first  family,  174. 

Select  company,  219. 

11  Sending  coals  to  Newcastle,"  183. 

"  Sent  back  to  the  United  States,"  172. 

11  Separated  for  ever,"  221. 

11  She  will  be  well  received,"  93. 

11  She  will  shine  in  Paris,"  146. 

Ship  Enterprise,  216. 

Erin,  Captain  Stephenson,  161,  185,  193. 

Mars,  Captain  Murphy,  215. 

Thomas,  99. 
Shipping  wine  to  France,  183. 
Shipwreck  of  young  couple,  115,  220. 
Sickly  views  of  marriage,  60. 
Silence,  64. 

of  Napoleon,  62. 
Skipwith,  Fulwar,  38,  142,  149,  161. 
Sleighs  and  snowballs,  88. 
Smiles,  139. 

Smith,  Samuel,  in  Congress,  33,  86,  144. 
Snowballs,  88. 

Snow,  Philadelphia,  Captain  Kennedy,  114. 
Spain  and  the  United  States,  143. 
"  Specific  administered,"  62. 
Speculation  in  Florida  lands,  140, 141. 
Summer  residence,  92. 
"  Stamp  of  greatness,"  127. 
St.  Croix  de  Teneriffe,  144. 

Table,  admitted  to,  63. 

"  Tell  Mrs.  Jerome,"  103. 

Tempestuous  sea,  53. 

Theatre,  Jerome  and  lady  at,  113. 

The  child  vaccinated,  200. 

The  Downs,  206,  221. 

The  mother,  176. 

The  noble  Erin,  170. 

The  Texel,  187,  198. 


INDEX.  253 


Thole,  Lucien  confined  in,  160. 

"  Three  letters  to  Lucien,"  210. 

Thorn  in  the  flesh,  79. 

"  Throw  Jerome  in  prison,"  156,  158. 

Tiptoe  gossip,  28. 

Treaty  of  1803,  claims,  &c,  141. 

of  Morfontain,  ") 

of  Luneville,     V  101. 

of  Amiens,        j 
Tri-colored  flag,  57. 
Troy,  35. 
Tuerreau,  33. 
Tunbridge  Wells,  209. 

Unappropriated  lands,  140. 
"United  with  one  of  the  best,"  95. 
Upas,  deleterious,  60. 

"Ventose,"  11th,  80. 

Vessel  of  the  United  States,  192. 

Walsingham  packet,  175. 

Washington  City,  young  couple  in,  118. 

Washington  street,  N.  Y.,  90. 

War-song  on  the  deep,  65. 

What  ladies  covet,  95. 

What  ladies  call  a  "come-off,"  200. 

Wheeler,  Miss,  30. 

Wheel  of  powerful  dimensions,  119. 

William  Neilson  &  Co.,  82. 

11  Will  never  acknowledge  the  marriage,"  211. 

"  Without  information  from  Jerome,"  206. 

"Wives  and  daughters  of  the  conquered,"  59. 

"Wool-dealer,"  181. 

"  Wrested  by  the  sea  from  France,"  58. 

"Write  to  Miss  Patterson,"  212. 

Young  couple,  80,  89,  100,  112,  113,  116,  170. 
shipwrecked  on  the  Delaware  bay,  115. 
in  Annapolis,  118. 
in  Washington,  118. 
in  Baltimore,  139. 
sail  at  8  o'clock  a.  m.,  162,  163. 
on  the  soa,  168. 
in  mid-ocean,  161,  164. 
quarantined  at  Lisbon,  174. 
final  parting  there,  175. 


254  INDEX. 

Young  couple. 

the  bride  sails  for  the  Texel,  185. 
she  is  before  Amsterdam,  193. 
she  is  not  allowed  to  land,  194. 
she  is  guarded  by  guns,  191. 
she  is  placarded  by  handbills,  185. 
she  sails  for  Dover,  195. 
11  she  imprudently  went  to  London,"  196. 
she  is  advised  to  go  home,  211. 

II  write  to  Miss  Patterson  to  return,"  212. 

II I  will  allow  her  a  pension,"  213. 

11  she  must  not  take  my  name,"  213. 
embarkation  for  Baltimore,  215 
"Young  person,"  65,  67,  73,  77,  78,  85. 


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